Expression Of Tie-2 In Transitional Cell Carcinoma Of The Bladder

Bladder cancer is the most common malignancy in genitourinary cancers in china and transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder accounts for more than 90% of bladder cancer. It's puzzle to urologist that transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder has multi-center and easy relapses. The more time relapse, the patient's condition is more serious. Angiogenesis is an absolute requirement for sustained bladder cancer growth and metastasis, and tumors larger than 1 to 2 mm require the induction and ingrowth of new capillaries.Tie-2 is a member of a novel family of receptor tyrosine kinases, in the endothelial cell. It regulates angiogenesis and only expresses in vascular endothelialcell and hematopoietic stem cell. There is expression of Tie-2 in most sustained cancer. The microvacular density and occurrence and development and metastasis is tied up with Tie-2. But there isn't an investigation about Tie-2 and transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder, at present. Materials and methodsBladder tumor specimens were collected from 55 patients(46 male,9 female) in the first affiliated hospital of Zhejiang University from 2002.7 to 2002.12. Histologic diagnosis revealed that all patients had TCC. Their histologic classification and staging were: G1(n=26), G2(n=21) and G3(n=8); Tis-1(n=29), T2(n=13) and T3~ 4(n=13), respectively. 21 cases of a normal bladder mucosa were included in the study as control. All specimens were frozen in -86 , made into 6 m freeze-section. We used PowerVision?method for immunohistochemical detection of Tie-2 to study the expression of Tie-2 in BTCC. ResultsPositive expression of Tie-2 was found in 76 cases , 55 cases of BTCC and 21 cases of normal bladder mucosa. A stronger expression of Tie-2 was observed in TCC compared with that in normal bladder mucosa(P<0.0 1). Butno significant difference was found among three grades(P>0.05), the same result to different staging(P>0.05).