Quantitative assesment of angiogenesis and mast cells in gastric carcinomas

Purpose: To investigate the possible effects of anjiogenesis and mast cell accumulation on the prognostic factors of gastric carcinomas and to evaluate the role of mast cells on angiogenesis. Methods: 33 patients who underwent gastrectomy because of gastric carcinoma were included in this study. Paraffin sections from tumor tissues and non-neoplastic mucosa of 33 patients were stained with Anti-Human Factor 8 related antigen with standard streptavidin - biotin immun peroxidase method. Microvessels were quantified by a stereological method and vascular surface density (VSD), microvessel number (NVES) and maximum microvessel numbers (N(VES-MAX)) were calculated. Tumors and surrounding mucosa were also stained with Toludine Blue stain to show mast cells in tumor and surrounding tissue. Mast cells were counted as described elsewhere and calculated in cubic millimeter. Microvessel and mast cell counts were compared between early and advanced TNM stages, tumor sizes, histopathologic types and metastatic lymph node numbers. Correlation between microvessel and mast cell counts was also evaluated. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between tumors and surrounding mucosa, early and advanced TNM stages, lymph node numbers, tumor sizes and histological types in terms of VSD, NVES and N(VES-MAX). Mast cell counts were also not different among these groups except that tumous with metastasis showed significantly increased number of mast cells (p = 0.007). Conclusion: Our study does not support the hypothesis that tumor vascularity predicts tumor behaviour and that mast cells induce anjiogenesis in gastric carcinoma. Mast cells on the other hand may be helpful in predicting metastatic disease in gastric carcinoma