BACKGROUND/AIMS: Currently, little information is available regarding the prognostic role of angiogenesis and its correlation with Thymidine phosphorylase (dThdPase) in ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate whether tumor angiogenesis, dThdPase expression correlates with prognosis in patients after radical surgical treatment for ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas and to investigate the correlation between tumor angiogenesis and dThdPase expression. Furthermore, the role of p53 expression in tumor neovascularization was also examined in this study. METHODOLOGY: Tissue samples were taken from 32 patients with ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas after radical surgical treatment. Intratumoral microvessel density (IMVD) and dThdPase, p53 expression were examined immunohistochemically. RESULTS: Increased IMVD significantly correlated with the tumor size, lymph node metastasis and advanced TNM stage (p < 0.05, respectively). Furthermore, increased IMVD correlated withpoorer survival curve (p < 0.05). A significant correlation was present between IMVD and dThdPase expression (p < 0.001), while dThdPase expression did not correlate with prognosis. p53 expression correlated with prognosis, whereas no significant correlation was shown between p53 expression and IMVD in ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. CONCLUSIONS: Tumor angiogenesis is associated with clinicopathological factors regarding tumor progression and may be an important prognostic factor in ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. dThdPase plays an important role in tumor angiogenesis in ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. Mutant p53 expression may not involve in tumor angiogenesis in ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Currently, little information is available regarding the prognostic role of angiogenesis and its correlation with Thymidine phosphorylase (dThdPase) in ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate whether tumor angiogenesis, dThdPase expression correlates with prognosis in patients after radical surgical treatment for ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas and to investigate the correlation between tumor angiogenesis and dThdPase expression. Furthermore, the role of p53 expression in tumor neovascularization was also examined in this study. METHODOLOGY: Tissue samples were taken from 32 patients with ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas after radical surgical treatment. Intratumoral microvessel density (IMVD) and dThdPase, p53 expression were examined immunohistochemically. RESULTS: Increased IMVD significantly correlated with the tumor size, lymph node metastasis and advanced TNM stage (p < 0.05, respectively). Furthermore, increased IMVD correlated withpoorer survival curve (p < 0.05). A significant correlation was present between IMVD and dThdPase expression (p < 0.001), while dThdPase expression did not correlate with prognosis. p53 expression correlated with prognosis, whereas no significant correlation was shown between p53 expression and IMVD in ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. CONCLUSIONS:Tumor angiogenesis is associated with clinicopathological factors regarding tumor progression and may be an important prognostic factor in ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. dThdPase plays an important role in tumor angiogenesis in ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. Mutant p53 expression may not involve in tumor angiogenesis in ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas.