OBJECTIVETo study the correlation of vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF- C) expression and lymphatic microvessel density (LMVD) with clinicopathological features and prognosis in colon cancer.

METHODSThe expression of VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 was detected by immunohistochemical staining with monoclonal antibodies against VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 in 44 cases with primary colon cancer. LMVD was calculated.

RESULTSVEGF-C positive rate was 43.2% (19/44). VEGF-C expression was associated with tumor (P=0.003), lymph node metastasis (P=0.002), Dukes stage (P=0.001). The mean LMVD was 10.14+/- 4.19. LMVD was associated with lymph node metastasis (P=0.002), Dukes stage (P=0.001). LMVD in VEGF-C(+) group was (11.34+/- 4.83) higher than (9.24+/- 3.48) in VEGF-C(-) group, but there was no statistically significance between the two groups (P=0.105). The survival rate of the patients with positive VEGF-C was lower than that with negative VEGF-C (P=0.0225). The median survival time of the patients with LMVD(+) group was shorter than that with LMVD(-) (P=0.0036). Distant metastasis (P=0.0004), lymphatic metastasis (P=0.021) and LMVD (P=0.0469) were independent prognostic factors.

CONCLUSIONSVEGF-C and LMVD appear to be new prognostic factors for colon cancer. Furthermore, LMVD may be a new independent prognostic factor.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Colonic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphangiogenesis ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Lymphatic Vessels ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C ; metabolism ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3 ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the genetic and clinical characteristics of isodicentric Ph chromosomes [idic(Ph)] in lymphoid blast crisis of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML-BLC).

METHODSBone marrow aspirates of 2 patients with CML-BLC were analyzed by R banding after 24 hours of culturing. Genomic copy number variations (CNV) were analyzed by single nucleotide polymorphism array (SNP array) in case 1. The results were confirmed with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Variations of acute lymphoblastic leukemia-related genes including CDKN2A/AB and PAX5 were detected by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplication (MLPA).

RESULTSDeletions and duplications on derivative chromosome 9 detected by FISH were confirmed by SNP array analysis. The distances between the BCR/ABL fusion signals on the idic(Ph) chromosomes in the two patients have differed greatly. The idic(Ph) in the second patient was supposed to be formed by two Ph chromosomes joined at their q terminals, where as the idic(Ph) in the first patient have been shown to be fused at the satellite regions of their p arms.

CONCLUSIONThe idic(Ph) chromosomes presented in CML-BLC may predict resistance to Imatinib and response to Dasatinib.

Blast Crisis ; diagnosis ; genetics ; therapy ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Chromosome Banding ; Chromosome Deletion ; Chromosome Duplication ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 9 ; genetics ; DNA Copy Number Variations ; Fatal Outcome ; Female ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; Karyotyping ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; diagnosis ; genetics ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Philadelphia Chromosome