Detection and clinical significance of microvascular density labeled by CD105 in hepatocellular carcinoma and adjacent non-tumorous tissues

Objective To evaluate the specificity of CD105 labeled microvessel density (MVD)and its clinical significance.Methods Formalin fixed,paraffin wax embedded specimens from 63 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were stained with anti-CD105 monoclonal antibody.A correlation was analyzed between the expression and distribution of MVD-CD105 in HCC/adjacent non-tumorous tissues and clinicopathological features.Results CD105 immunoreactivity was seen in all the specimens of HCC and adjacent non-tumorous tissues.Immunoreactivity intensity was higher in adjacent non-tumorous tissues than in HCC (χ2=9.184,P＜0.01).The mean scores of M VD-CD105 were also higher in adjacent non-tumorous tissues than in HCC.The levels of expression and distribution of MVD-CD105 in HCC were associated with tumor metastasis and TNM staging (P＜0.01).The levels of expression and distribution of MVD-CD105 in adjacent non-tumorous tissues were associated with TNM staging and 2-year survival rate (P＜0.01).Conclusions CD105 showed no specificity in labeling MVD of HCC specimens.The higher level of expression and distribution of MVD-CD105 in HCC was associated with local tumor metastasis and progression.CD105 cannot be used as a target for anti-angiogenesis therapy for HCC. Key words: Hepatocellular carcinoma;  Adjacent nontumorous tissues;  Microvessle density