RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The growth of solid tumors requires angiogenesis. Evidence indicates that mast cells (MCs) play an important role in tumor angiogenesis but results are not definitive. The aim of this study is to investigate the possible effects of angiogenesis and the presence of MCs on the prognosis of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study involved 40 patients with RCC (24 men and 16 women who were treated with radical nephrectomy between 1995 and 2006, at our institution. The routine mast cell tryptase staining method was used to assess the MCs in both normal tissue and tumoral tissue. The immunohistochemical staining for CD34 antigen was used for determination of microvessel density. The relation between MC count and tumor status such as tumor stage, size, grade, and other clinicopathologic parameters in RCC were evaluated in this study. RESULTS: We found no relationship between the number of MCs and patient age, sex, tumor stage, grade, size. No association was noted between angiogenesis and either patient sex or age, tumor size, stage, and grade. No statistically significant correlation was found between the number of MCs and microvessel density in RCC (P-value = 0.45) but the max value of MCs and MVD were in clear cell carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: The MC count was not associated with tumor status such as tumor stage, size, grade, and other clinicopathologic parameters, however, MCs may be related to tumor angiogenesis and acceleration of tumor growth in RCC and therefore need further evaluation in RCC.
