Background: The aim of the study was the immunohistological assessment of VEGF-single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-related angiogenic activity in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in correlation with prognosis.
Methods: Fifty OSCC samples were immunostained with CD31-antibodies. Mean microvessel density (MVD) and staining intensity were determined and associated with clinicopathological/prognostic features as well as with the VEGF +936C/T SNP.
Results: A significant higher MVD could be seen for T3 and T4 compared with T1 and T2, N > 0 vs. N0 as well as G3-G4 vs. G1-G2 OSCCs (all: P < 0.05). A higher MVD was also associated with increased and earlier rates of local relapses, more metastases, and a significant decreased overall as well as disease-free survival (all: P < 0.05). When comparing T1 and T2 samples with +936-T-allele with T 1&2 samples without this allele, staining intensity was significantly increased (P = 0.002).
Conclusions: Angiogenesis influences local as well as distant growth of OSCCs with a significant correlation between prognostic parameters. The correlation between VEGF +936-T-allele and increased CD31 immunostain needs further confirmation.
Keywords: CD31; VEGF polymorphism; microvessel density; oral squamous cell carcinoma; prognosis.
© 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.