Angiogenesis in ovarian epithelial tumours: influence of methodological variables on vascular quantitation

• Grant number: 09/13767-2
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: November 01, 2009
• End date: October 31, 2011
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Pathological Anatomy and Clinical Pathology
• Principal Investigator: André Almeida Schenka
• Grantee: André Almeida Schenka
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In malignant neoplasms, angiogenesis seems to facilitate tumour growth and metastasis, thus, bearing a potential role in diagnostic/prognostic assessment, as well as in the development of new therapeutic strategies. However, the relative importance of such a role is variable from one entity to another, probably reflecting biological differences between tumours, as well as limitations or methodological variations among studies. In ovarian neoplasms, due to paucity of studies and great methodological variability among them, the role of angiogenesis is yet to be established. The present study aims: (1) to evaluate the influence of different methodological variables on angiogenesis quantitation in ovarian tumours; (2) to establish, by linear regression, functions that may be used to interconvert values obtained from different methodological variants; and (3) to identify more objective, reproductive and feasible methods of angiogenesis quantitation. Methods: using ovarian tumours diagnosed in our Academic Women's Hospital (CAISM-Unicamp) from 01/1997-12/2003, tumour-related vascularity will be detected by CD34 immunostaining and quantified by manual or automatic assessment of: microvessel density (MVD), endothelial (EA) and vascular luminal areas (VLA). Furthermore, the following methodological variants will be tested: image file format (TIFF vs. JPEG), total number of analyzed fields (1, 3, 5, 10 and 20 medium-power fields) and field selection method (randomized, hotspot and post-randomized hotspot). Intra- and inter-observer reproducibility will also be evaluated. In sum, the present study intends to improve current methodologies in vascular quantitation, thereby fostering the increase in accuracy and reproducibility of future morphological and pharmacological studies on tumour angiogenesis. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

NICOLOSI, JACQUELINE S.; YOSHIDA, ADRIANA O.; SARIAN, LUIS O. Z.; SILVA, CLEIDE A. M.; ANDRADE, LILIANA A. L. A.; DERCHAIN, SOPHIE F. M.; VASSALLO, JOSE; SCHENKA, ANDRE ALMEIDA. Image Compression Impact on Quantitative Angiogenesis Analysis of Ovarian Epithelial Neoplasms. APPLIED IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR MORPHOLOGY, v. 20, n. 1, p. 91-95, JAN 2012. (09/13767-2)

NICOLOSI, JACQUELINE S.; YOSHIDA, ADRIANA O.; SARIAN, LUIS O. Z.; SILVA, CLEIDE A. M.; ANDRADE, LILIANA A. L. A.; DERCHAIN, SOPHIE F. M.; VASSALLO, JOSE; SCHENKA, ANDRE ALMEIDA. Image Compression Impact on Quantitative Angiogenesis Analysis of Ovarian Epithelial Neoplasms. APPLIED IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR MORPHOLOGY, v. 20, n. 1, p. 5-pg., 2012-01-01. (09/13767-2)