Clinical significance of angiogenesis, proliferation and apoptosis in renal cell carcinoma

Background The prognostic significance of angiogenesis, proliferation and apoptosis after interferon (IFN) was investigated in 96 patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Materials and Methods. Microvessel density in the tumor(MVD), proliferative index(PI) and apoptotic index(All were quantified using immunohistochemical staining of factor VIII-related antigen and Ki-67 antigen for the former two parameters and the TUNEL technique for AI. Results. MVD and PI were correlated with the M criteria and histological grade. AI was not correlated with either criteria. Analysis using PI,AI,MVD and the classical prognostic factors revealed that PI was the most significant prognostic factor and that patients with high MVD values and those with low AI values had a poor prognosis. Of the high MVD group and high PI group among patients with metastasis, IFN treated patients showed a tendency for a better prognosis than nontreated patients(p=0.067 and 0.020, respectively). Conclusions. It is speculated that proliferation, angiogenesis and apoptosis play a complex role in the prognosis of patients with RCC. It is suggested that IFN treatment is likely to have an inhibitory effect on proliferation and angiogenesis.