Background:
Thymidine phosphorylase (dthdpase) is identical to platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (pd-ecgf). dthdpase is known to promote the development of new blood vessels, which are fundamental to tumor growth and metastasis. vascular endothelial growth factor (vegf) is a 34-42 kilodalton (kd) protein that induces both angiogenesis and vascular permeability. proliferating cell nuclear antigen (pcna) is a 36 kd nuclear protein, and its expression is associated with dna synthesis and cell proliferation.
Methods:
The authors investigated the correlations of dthdpase and vegf with the growth of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (hnscc) in 95 patients by examining pcna expression as a marker of tumor proliferation. they also retrospectively examined the expression of dthdpase in primary hnscc and its association with angiogenesis and clinicopathologic findings.
Results:
Microvessel count was significantly correlated with the expression of vegf (p = 0.046) but not with dthdpase expression. the expression of pcna was significantly correlated with dthdpase (p < 0.001) but not vegf expression. a significant correlation was found between vegf and dthdpase expression (p = 0.003). neither dthdpase nor vegf correlated with clinicopathologic findings, except for the correlation between tumor location and vegf expression (p 0.020).
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that vegf is involved in angiogenesis in hnscc. dthdpase may have effects on tumor growth other than angiogenic activity in hnscc.