Quantification of angiogenesis by the Chalkley method and its prognostic significance in epithelial ovarian cancer.

AIM: The aim of the present study was to clarify prognostic role of angiogenesis in epithelial ovarian cancer. METHODS: Quantification of angiogenesis was performed by the Chalkley method after immunostaining of 175 epithelial ovarian cancer specimens with an antibody against CD34. RESULTS: The Chalkley count was categorised into two groups according to the median value: low <8 or high > or =8. The low Chalkley count correlated significantly with serous and clear cell histological subtype of the tumour (p<0.0005), whereas there existed no association with FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) stage, histological grade, presence of primary residual tumour, age at diagnosis, or chemotherapy response. In univariate analysis, the high Chalkley count predicted poor overall survival in the subgroup of patients with FIGO stages III-IV tumours (p=0.007) but not in the entire study cohort. However, in multivariate analysis, the Chalkley count was found to be an independent predictor of death from ovarian cancer in the entire study cohort (p=0.044, RR=1.50, 95% CI 1.01-2.21) as well as in the subgroup of FIGO stages III-IV tumours (p=0.046, RR=1.58, 95% CI 1.01-2.46) together with the presence of primary residual tumour (p<0.0005, RR=5.10, 95% CI 3.02-8.62, and p=0.002, RR=4.28, 95% CI 1.34-13.73, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The Chalkley count seems to be suitable for evaluation of angiogenesis and to have prognostic significance in ovarian cancer.

Human cytomegalovirus tegument protein pp65 is detected in all intra- and extra-axial brain tumours independent of the tumour type or grade.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) has been indicated being a significant oncomodulator. Recent reports have suggested that an antiviral treatment alters the outcome of a glioblastoma. We analysed the performance of commercial HCMV-antibodies applying the immunohistochemical (IHC) methods on brain sample obtained from a subject with a verified HCMV infection, on samples obtained from 14 control subjects, and on a tissue microarray block containing cores of various brain tumours. Based on these trials, we selected the best performing antibody and analysed a cohort of 417 extra- and intra-axial brain tumours such as gliomas, medulloblastomas, primary diffuse large B-cell lymphomas, and meningiomas. HCMV protein pp65 immunoreactivity was observed in all types of tumours analysed, and the IHC expression did not depend on the patient's age, gender, tumour type, or grade. The labelling pattern observed in the tumours differed from the labelling pattern observed in the tissue with an active HCMV infection. The HCMV protein was expressed in up to 90% of all the tumours investigated. Our results are in accordance with previous reports regarding the HCMV protein expression in glioblastomas and medulloblastomas. In addition, the HCMV protein expression was seen in primary brain lymphomas, low-grade gliomas, and in meningiomas. Our results indicate that the HCMV protein pp65 expression is common in intra- and extra-axial brain tumours. Thus, the assessment of the HCMV expression in tumours of various origins and pathologically altered tissue in conditions such as inflammation, infection, and even degeneration should certainly be facilitated.