Immunohistochemical evaluation of angiogenesis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Using CD34 Marker

Angiogenesis has a significant role in growth and development, progression and behavior of malignant tumors. Since SCC is the most common carcinoma of oral cavity, determination of angiogenesis role in behavior of this malignancy is of great importance. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between MVD and demographic factors such as age, gender and location and histopathologic grade of the tumor. Method and Material: In this descriptive-analytic study, 22 paraffin embedded blocks of SCC of head and neck region. From oral & Maxillofacial pathology dept., Dental faculty, Qazvin University. H &E stained slides of related patients were selected and the specimens were graded by pathologist according to Broder’s classification. The blocks were then stained with anti CD34 monoclonal antibody by means of immunohistochemistry method. In each specimen, three highly stained fields were selected and then MVD average of those fields were counted and analyzed. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and T-Student analysis were then used to measure the variables with p<0.05 as level of significance. MVD was 32.66±7.4 and 43.2±7.1 in well and moderate-poor diff SCC samples (p=0.003) These was no significant correlation between demographic factors and MVD (P>0.05). According to this study, there was a reverse relation between degree of differentiation of SCC and angiogenesis. Hence it seems in low grade tumors-in addition to better cell differentiation-less angiogenesis similarly plays role in prognosis of these lesions.