Thrombospondin-2 (TSP2) expression is inversely correlated with vascularity in glioma.

Thrombospondins (TSPs) are angiostatic factors in various cancers. However, the significance of TSPs has not been well characterised in glioma. We examined TSP1, TSP2 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene expression by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 37 gliomas. Thirty of the 37 glioma specimens showed VEGF gene expression. Eighteen of the 37 gliomas expressed the TSP1 gene. Seven gliomas lacked TSP2 gene expression, while the other 30 expressed TSP2. The lack of TSP2 gene expression was significantly associated with higher histological grade (Fisher's test, P = 0.0019) and increased vessel counts and density (Student's t-test, P < 0.0001), while there were no correlations between TSP1 and VEGF gene expression and clinicopathological features. These results indicate that the lack of TSP2 gene expression is a potent factor for enhancement of angiogenesis in glioma.