血管内皮生长因子与水孔蛋白4在胶质瘤及脑转移瘤中的表达及意义

目的 探讨血管内皮生长因子(VEGF)与水孔蛋白4(AQP4)在胶质瘤及脑转移瘤中的表达,并探讨两者与胶质瘤及脑转移瘤的组织病理学关系及在瘤周水肿形成过程中的作用.方法 选择福建医科大学附属第一医院神经外科自1999年至2001年手术切除并经病理检查证实的胶质瘤石蜡组织标本73例和脑转移瘤组织标本15例,并另取正常脑组织标本8例作为对照,应用免疫组织化学方法检测组织标本中VEGF与AOP4的表达.结果 正常脑组织中未见VEGF表达:高级别胶质瘤与低级别胶质瘤之间、低级别胶质瘤与正常脑组织之间、脑转移瘤与正常脑组织及低级别胶质瘤之间VEGF阳性表达比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05),而脑转移瘤与高级别胶质瘤之间VEGF阳性表达比较差异无统计学意义(P>0.05).AQP4在所有组织标本中均有表达,正常脑组织与高级别胶质瘤、脑转移瘤之间,低级别胶质瘤与高级别胶质瘤、脑转移瘤之间AQP4阳性表达比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05),而正常脑组织与低级别胶质瘤之间、脑转移瘤与高级别胶质瘤之间AQP4阳性表达比较差异无统计学意义(P>0.05).Spearman相关分析显示两者在胶质瘤及脑转移瘤组织中表达呈正相关关系(r=0.516,P<0.05).结论 VEGF与AQP4是参与形成肿瘤周围水肿的重要分子生物学因素,且两者可能存在某种协同作用.

Aquaporin 4 and vascular endothelial growth factor participate in the formation of peritumoral edema of gliomas and brain metastases

Objective To investigate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and aquaporin 4 (AQP4) in giiomas and brain metastases, and explore the role of VEGF and AQP4 in the histopathology and formation of peritumoral edema of primary and metastatic gliomas. Methods Immunohistocbemical method was used to examine the protein expression of VEGF and AQP4 in 73 paraffin-embeded, pathologically confirmed glioma and 15 metastatic tumor specimens collected between 1999 and 2001. Eight normal brain tissue specimens were used as the control. Results VEGF protein was not detected in normal brain tissues. VEGF expression was detected in gliomas and the expression level increased obviously along with the histological grade of the tumor. Significant differences were found in VEGF expression between malignant and low-grade gliomas, between low-grade gliomas and normal brain tissues, and between intracranial metastatic tumors and normal brain tissues and low-grade gliomas (P<0.05), but not between intracranial metastatic tumors and malignant gliomas (P>0.05). AQP4 protein expression was found in all the collected samples, and its expression differed significantly between normal brain tissues and malignant gliomas or intracranial metastatic tumors, and also between low-grade gliomas and malignant gliomas or intracranial metastatic tumors (P<0.05), but not between normal brain tissues and low-grade gliomas or between intracranialmetastatic tumors and malignant gliomas (P>0.05). VEGF protein expression showed a significant positive correlation to AQP4 protein expression (r=0.516, P<0.05). Conclusion As important molecular biological factors, VEGF and AQP4 participate in the formation peritumoral brain edema of gliomas and exhibit a synergie effect in this process.