Relationship Of Smad4 Expression With Angiogenesis In Bladder Transitional Cell Carcinoma

Objective: To study the expression of Smad4, VEGF, MVD in bladder transitional cell carcinoma (BTCC), and its relationship with angiogenesis and clinical significance.Methods: The methods of S-P Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of Smad4, VEGF, MVD in 50 cases of BTCC tissues, 10 cases of normal bladder mucosa tissues, and the expression of Smad4, VEGF, MVD was analyzed with relation to clinical stage, pathological grade, recurrence, metastasis and angiogenesis.Results: (1) The positive expression of Smad4 in BTCC (30.0%) is significantly lower than that in normal bladder mucosa tissues (80.0%, p <0.05). In BTCC, the expression of Smad4 is significantly correlated with clinical stage, pathological grade, recurrence and metastasis (p <0.05).(2) The positive expression of VEGF in BTCC (68.0%) is significantly higher than that in normal bladder mucosa tissues (10.0%,P<0.05) . In BTCC, the expression of VEGF is significantly correlated with clinical stage,pathological grade and metastasis (P<0.05) and independent of recurrence (p <0.05); (3) MVD in BTCC tissues was 17～62 with a mean value of 41.06±13.22,but was 5～29,with a mean value of 17.48±4.55 in normal bladder tissues. There is significant difference respectively (p <0.05).(4) In BTCC, the expression levels of Smad4 was negatively correlated with both the expression levels of VEGF (p <0.01) and the levels of MVD (p <0.01). (5) The expression of Smad4,VEGF and MVD is independent of age, sex, the sizes and numbers of tumor (p >0.05).Conclusion: We can draw the conclusion that Smad4,VEGF and MVD play important roles in the genesis,development, recurrence and metastasis of BTCC. Smad4 perhaps take part in regulating the expression of VEGF and angiosis of BTCC, but the specific mechanism still to be investigated. Smad4 could be used as an important marker to indicate the invasion, metastasis and prognosis in BTCC.