CD105-microvessel density analysis and its clinical value in urothelial carcinoma of bladder patients.

Background: Endoglin/CD105-microvessel density (CD105-MVD) is identified as one of the most potential methods for semi-quantification of angiogenesis in human cancer tissues. Present study aimed to examine the diagnosticand prognostic value of CD105-MVD in two clinically distinct subtypes of urothelial carcinoma of bladder (UCB) namely non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) patients.

Methods: Message expression of endoglin was analysed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and MVD measurement was done by immunohistochemical staining in 90 UCB [NMIBC: 60; MIBC: 30] patients. SEM studies were carried out to examine tumor vasculature and extent of neoangiogenesis in NMIBC and MIBC patients.

Results: Elevated message expression of CD105 showed statistical significance with tumor stage, grade, smoking/tobacco chewing history in NMIBC andage in MIBC cohort. Higher values of CD105-MVD showed statistical relevance with tumor stage, grade, size, smoking/tobacco chewing history in NMIBC cohort. Kaplan Meier test identified high CD105-MVD as strong predictor of poor RFS in NMIBC patients.

Conclusions: Association of CD105 expression and MVD with the clinicohistopathological features as well as poor survival outcomes potentially identify it as a preferred marker of clinical significance in a given cohort of UCB patients.Clinical significanceStrong association of CD105 at message level with the demographics of UCB patients identifies it as a marker of diagnosis in a given cohort of patients.Survival analysis examined CD105-MVD as an independent strong predictor of poor recurrence free survival in NMIBC patients.Present study provides clear evidence of increased vascular density, vascular sprouts proliferation and new blood vessel formation with disease aggressiveness indicating CD105 as a preferred marker of neoangiogenesis in the given cohort of patients.The study describes CD105-MVD as a biomarker of diagnosis and prognosis with the sensitivity of 91.67% and 93.33% in a given cohort of NMIBC and MIBC patients.