Tumor angiogenesis in pulmonary adenocarcinomas: relationship with basic fibroblast growth factor, its receptor, and survival.
Tumor angiogenesis was examined in tissue specimens from 120 patients with a pulmonary adenocarcinoma. The microvascular density (MVD) was determined by the factor 8-related antigen (F8RA), and the basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) protein expressions were immunologically studied with the MVD. Patients with over 30 counts of the MVD showed significantly poorer prognosis than those with less than 30 counts. bFGF and FGFR1 expressions correlated with tumor angiogenesis and prognosis. Univariate analysis showed that the MVD, bFGF, and FGFR1 had a significant effect on prognosis, and multivariate analysis of three prognostic factors revealed the MVD correlated with survival. Our findings suggest that bFGF and FGFR1 expressions play an important role in tumor angiogenesis and that the bFGF and FGFR1 expressions promote angiogenesis and metastasis in pulmonary adenocarcinoma, and that the MVD is a useful prognostic marker for assessing the outcome of a pulmonary adenocarcinoma.