Study on the changes in microvessel density in hepatocellular carcinoma following transcatheter arterial chemoembolization.

To study the changes in intratumoral microvessel density (MVD) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) following transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE), MVD in 42 HCC specimens histologically verified was studied by using immunohistochemical method. Of all the specimens, 20 were obtained from the patients treated with surgical resection alone, 22 from those with second stage surgical resection after TACE. The results showed that the MVD in HCC tissues was 53.4 +/- 21.9 in the TACE group and 27.6 +/- 9.2 in the single operating group, respectively, with the difference being significant between them (P < 0.001). It was suggested that TACE might contribute to angiogenesis of HCC, possibly due to anoxic stress and ischemia-reperfusion injury.