Expression of b‐FGF and endostatin and their clinical significance in human osteosarcoma

Objective: To investigate the expression and the clinical significance of basic fibroblast growth factor (b‐FGF) and endostatin in osteosarcoma. Methods: From January 2003 to December 2005, expression of b‐FGF, endostatin and CD34 were detected in 30 osteosarcoma and 30 osteochondroma tissue specimens by the immunohistochemical Elivision method. All data were post‐processed with SPSS 13.0 software and prepared for investigation and analysis of these expressions and the relationships between the parameters. Results: (i) The rates of expression of b‐FGF, endostatin and CD34 protein in osteosarcoma were 76.7%, 93.3%, and 96.7%, respectively, and in osteochondroma 43.3%, 40.0% and 16.7%, respectively. Each of the three expressions showed obvious differences between the osteosarcoma and the osteochondroma group. (ii) In the osteosarcoma group, expression of endostatin was positively correlated with that of CD34 (P < 0.05, γs = 0.528), and expression of endostatin in poorly differentiated osteosarcoma was much greater than that in highly differentiated osteosarcoma (P= 0.004). Expression of endostatin correlated with osteosarcoma metastasis (P= 0.036). (iii) There was no correlation between b‐FGF and endostatin expression rates (P= 0.182) in the osteosarcoma group. Conclusion: Angiogenesis is the basis of tumor metastasis, as well as being an important factor in tumor growth. Expression of endostatin could be adopted as a parameter for the diagnosis of postoperative metastases and for assessing prognosis, and could act as an adjuvant indicator in the grading of osteosarcoma.