The aim of our study was to compare the CD31 and CD105 endothelial area (EA) by computer-assisted morphometrical analysis in colorectal carcinomas (CRC). Two hundred and eleven surgical specimens with CRC were immunohistochemical analyzed with markers for angiogenesis CD31 and CD105 (Endoglin). We determined the area of endothelial cells occupied in the microscope field (EA).
Results: The median area was 6.93 +/- 4.25% for CD31, respectively 5.65 +/- 2.23% for CD105. In the majority of cases, the CD31 EA was higher than CD105 EA. In the cases with the predominance of mature vessels, and also in the cases after radiotherapy, the CD105 EA was higher than CD31 (5.69 +/- 2.49%, respectively 10.23 +/- 5.93%). In our study, we tried to describe the clinico-morphological features of these cases.
Conclusions: The CD105 seems to be the best marker for study of neoangiogenesis in CRC. Sometime, CD105 marks the activated endothelium of preexistent mature vessels. The radiotherapy destroys the neoformed but also the preexistent vessels. For the antiangiogenic treatment, it is important to determine the intensity of angiogenesis but also the type of neoformed vessels.