Radial intratumoral increase and correlation of microvessels and proliferation in solid breast carcinoma

Aims: To compare correlations between different morphometrically assessed measurements of tumour microvasculature and to identify those which show closest correlation with Ki67 and to examine radial intratumoral distribution of microvessels and proliferation. Methods and results: Immunohistochemically defined microvessels and Ki67+ cells were quantified in sequential fields of 0.12 mm(2) (X600) in four transects in each of five tumours. The total number of vessels (TNV) correlated more closely with proliferative activity than the numbers of vessels with a discernible lumen (TLV) and TNV decreased towards the centre of the tumour whereas TLV did not. A higher proliferative index (PI) was found at the periphery of the tumours. Comparison between transects through subjectively identified microvessel hot-spots and non-hot-spot transects showed similar mean, median and peak vessel counts but showed a different distribution on chi(2) analysis. Conclusions: TNV correlates most closely with PI in breast carcinomas. There is marked variation in microvessel density and PI between fields of 0.12 mm(2) but there is a significant radial reduction in both from the edge towards the centre of tumours.