[Correlation between the expression of thrombospondin-1 and the angiogenesis in mucoepidermoid carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between the expression of thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) and the angiogenesis in mucoepidermoid carcinoma. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry were applied to detect the expression of TSP-1 and the value of microvessel density (MVD) in 45 mucoepidermoid carcinoma patients. RESULTS: Positive expressions of TSP-1 protein were detected in 26 of the 45 (57. 78%) cases. Most positive staining for TSP-1 was observed in the cytoplasm of the cancer cells, some of those were in the extracellular matrix. The mean MVD in 45 cases with mucoepidermoid carcinoma was 60. 68 +/- 19.84 vessels per 100 field of vision. Tumors with a high expression of TSP-1 showed a low value of MVD and the correlation between TSP-1 immunocompetence and microvessel density was highly significant (r(s) = -0.942, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The TSP-1 is expressed in most mucoepidermoid carcinoma and were associated with neovascularization. TSP-1 is likely to inhibit the extensive neovascularization and increased TSP-1 expression might inhibit angiogenic phenotype in mucoepidermoid carcinoma.