Stereological Quantification of Blood and Lymph Microvessels in Prostate Cancer. Its Relevance for the Anti-angiogenetic Therapy

Title:Stereological Quantification of Blood and Lymph Microvessels in Prostate Cancer. Its Relevance for the Anti-angiogenetic Therapy

Volume: 10 Issue: 1

Author(s): Almudena Coloma, Javier Codesal, Ildefonso Ingelmo, Jesus Ruiz, Fernando Teba, Jose M. Pozuelo, Rosario Rodriguez and Luis Santamaria

Affiliation:

Keywords: Angiogenesis, Cancer, Lymphatics, Microvessels, Prostate, Stereology.

Abstract: Abnormal angiogenesis is a critical feature of many diseases, including cancers and their precursors. Although the association between prostate carcinogenesis and changes in microvascular architecture is well known, these changes are not well-documented from a quantitative point of view. The present study is a review about stereological estimates of the number of quiescent and proliferative endothelial cells, and length of both blood and lymphatic microvessels in normal and prostate cancer tissues. A decrease of endothelial cell density, together with an increase of microvessel length density, was detected in prostate cancer specimens. When comparing blood and lymphatic microvessels the next findings were remarked: The length density from blood vessels was greater than in lymphatics. The average vascular diameter for lymphatics was decreased in cancer in comparison with controls. The endothelial cells per unit of volume were higher in blood vessels than in lymphatics. The surface density of endothelium and the average of endothelial cell surface, were similar in blood and lymphatic vessels in all the groups irrespective of normal, intratumoral or peritumoral locations. The average vascular diameter was the only parameter that in the lymphatics shows a gradient of decreasing from normal to intratumoral tissues, due to mechanical compression by the growing tumour. In contrast with the angiogenesis observed in prostate cancer, the lymphangiogenesis seems to be not relevant. The relevance of the quantification of the blood and lymph microvessels for evaluating anti-angiogenesis strategies in the therapy of prostate cancer is discussed.

Cite this article as:

Coloma Almudena, Codesal Javier, Ingelmo Ildefonso, Ruiz Jesus, Teba Fernando, Pozuelo M. Jose, Rodriguez Rosario and Santamaria Luis, Stereological Quantification of Blood and Lymph Microvessels in Prostate Cancer. Its Relevance for the Anti-angiogenetic Therapy, Current Cancer Therapy Reviews 2014; 10 (1) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/157339471001140815151624