gms | German Medical Science

102. Jahrestagung der DOG

Deutsche Ophthalmologische Gesellschaft e. V.

23. bis 26.09.2004, Berlin

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Endoglin: specific angiogenesis marker in long-time prognosis of patients with uveal melanoma?

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  • corresponding author F. Ziemssen - Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Universitäts-Augenklinik, Tübingen
  • R. Anar - Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Universitäts-Augenklinik, Tübingen
  • J. Wegener - Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Universitäts-Augenklinik, Tübingen
  • O. Tatar - Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Universitäts-Augenklinik, Tübingen
  • D. Süsskind - Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Universitäts-Augenklinik, Tübingen
  • P. Szurman - Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Universitäts-Augenklinik, Tübingen
  • S. Grisanti - Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Universitäts-Augenklinik, Tübingen

Evidenzbasierte Medizin - Anspruch und Wirklichkeit. 102. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Ophthalmologischen Gesellschaft. Berlin, 23.-26.09.2004. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2004. Doc04dogFR.11.05

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/dog2004/04dog262.shtml

Published: September 22, 2004

© 2004 Ziemssen et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.

Outline

Text

Objective

Endoglin(CD105) is a homodimeric membrane receptor of TGF-β in endothelial cells. Expression of endoglin and the following signalling pathway is essential for angiogenesis in ontogeny. An association was found to the prognosis in several malignancies.

Methods

35 clinicopathologically well characterized cases of primary uveal melanomas were retrospectively analyzed. The mean follow-up was 10.6 years (9-13 years). Corresponding paraffin sections were stained for Ki-67, von Willebrand factor and endoglin. The immunohistological specimens were evaluated by three independent observers totally masked to the follow-up of patients. Statistical analyses were performed including Kaplan-Meier survival curves and fitting of Log-Rank and Wilcoxon Test models.

Results

Expression of vWF revealed vascularisation of all examined specimens. Ki-67 was found in 74% (26 of 35) of the uveal melanoma samples. Moderate to high expression of endoglin was present in 13 cases (37%). These patients had a significant higher rate of death due to metastasis. Kaplan-Meier analysis resulted in significant correlation of enhanced expression to survival rate (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Differential expression of the known markers for blood vessels underlines the necessity of careful interpretation of prognostic value in uveal melanoma. Subtyping of vessels by specific markers could facilitate selection of patients with high risk for metastasis. Association of reduced prognosis with high expression of endoglin corraborates the idea of therapeutical intervention by suppression of the TGFbeta signalling pathway in uveal melanoma.