HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER		Author Keyword(s) Vol Page [Advanced]

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this link to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Add article to my folders Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Brundler, M-A Articles by Pepper, M S Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Brundler, M-A Articles by Pepper, M S

Lymphatic vessel density in the neoplastic progression of Barrett’s oesophagus to adenocarcinoma

¹ Department of Clinical Pathology, University of Geneva Medical Centre, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
² Department of Morphology, University of Geneva Medical Centre
³ Birmingham Children’s Hospital Steelhouse Lane, Birmingham B4 6NH, UK
⁴ NetCare Molecular Medicine Institute, Unitas Hospital, 0140 Lyttelton, Pretoria, South Africa

Correspondence to:
Professor M S Pepper
NetCare Molecular Medicine Institute, Unitas Hospital, Clifton Avenue, 0140 Lyttleton, Pretoria, South Africa; mpepper{at}doctors.netcare.co.za Background: Oesophageal adenocarcinoma is an aggressive neoplasm with poor prognosis as a result of early lymph node metastasis.

Aims: To measure lymphatic vessel density (LVD) in the neoplastic progression from Barrett’s metaplasia to adenocarcinoma and determine whether LVD can predict the risk of cancer. In addition, to correlate LVD with lymph node metastasis and assess whether LVD could be used as a prognostic indicator for outcome or survival.

Methods: LVD and microvascular density (MVD) were assessed after immunohistochemical staining of vessels in Barrett’s metaplasia, dysplasia, and adenocarcinoma tissues and were correlated with clinicopathological features.

Results: LVD was significantly reduced in adenocarcinoma, being half that seen in normal stomach/oesophagus or metaplasia/dysplasia. LVD did not correlate with tumour grade, stage, or clinical outcome; however, patients who had either lymph node metastasis or invasion of tumour cells into peritumorous lymphatic vessels had a significantly worse overall survival. MVD was also assessed as a prognostic marker; its increase appeared to be linked more with the development of Barrett’s metaplasia than adenocarcinoma.

Conclusions: The reduction in lymphatic vessel numbers was not useful for determining disease outcome in the patient group studied. It is the entry of tumour cells into pre-existing peritumorous lymphatic vessels that confers a significantly worse overall survival.

Abbreviations: LVD, lymphatic vessel density; LYVE-1, lymphatic endothelium specific hyaluronan receptor; MVD, microvascular density; VEGFR-3, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3

Keywords: lymphangiogenesis; lymphatic vessel density; Barrett’s metaplasia; dysplasia; oesophageal adenocarcinoma

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. Thelen, A. Scholz, C. Benckert, W. Weichert, E. Dietz, B. Wiedenmann, P. Neuhaus, and S. Jonas Tumor-Associated Lymphangiogenesis Correlates with Lymph Node Metastases and Prognosis in Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma Ann. Surg. Oncol., March 1, 2008; 15(3): 791 - 799. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]