Prediction of metastasis risk (11 year follow-up) using VEGF-R1, VEGF-R2, Tie-2/Tek and CD105 expression in breast cancer (n=905)

Neoangiogenesis in tumours contributes to the development of blood-borne metastases, and can be evaluated by markers of activated endothelial cells in preference to panendothelial markers. Our purpose was to document the prognostic significance of VEGF-RI, VEGF-R2, Tie-2/Tek and CD105 immunoexpression in breast carcinoma frozen samples (n = 905, follow-up = 11.7 years). We observed that: (i) CD105 (P = 0.001) and Tie-2/Tek (P = 0.025) (but not VEGF-RI and VEGF-R2) overexpression correlated with a shorter survival, and were (Cox's model) independent histoprognostic indicators; (ii) only CD105 marked expression correlated (P = 0.035) with a shorter survival of node-negative patients; (iii) three markers - CD105 (P = 0.001), Tie-2/Tek (P = 0.01), VEGF-R1 (P = 0.001), but not VEGF-R2 - correlated with metastatic risk in node-negative patients in univariate analysis; and (iv) VEGF-R1 (P = 0.01) expression correlated with high local recurrence risk. It is concluded that CD 105 and to a lesser extent Tie-2/Tek and VEGF-RI, but not VEGF-R2 are endowed with prognostic significance that may be useful for patient monitoring, particularly CD 105 expression for selecting node-negative patients for more aggressive postsurgery therapy.