Evaluation and clinical correlations of bone marrow angiogenesis in myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia

R. A. Mesa, C. A. Hanson, S. V. Rajkumar, G. Schroeder, A. Tefferi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

201 Scopus citations

Abstract

Recent observations have underscored the biologic relevance of intratumoral angiogenesis and its potential impact on prognosis. Increased bone marrow angiogenesis has been demonstrated in a variety of hematologic disorders, including multiple myeloma. The extent and prognostic significance of bone marrow angiogenesis in 114 patients with myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia (MMM) was investigated. A control group of 44 patients without bone marrow disease, 15 patients with polycythemia vera, and 17 patients with essential thrombocythemia was also studied. Bone marrow microvessel density was assessed by a semiquantitative method, visual microvessel grading, and 2 separate quantitative methods, visual count and computerized image analysis. Angiogenesis estimation by all 3 methods was highly comparable. On visual microvessel grading, a grade 3 or 4 increase in bone marrow angiogenesis was demonstrated in 70% of patients with MMM, 33% of patients with polycythemia vera, 12% of patients with essential thrombocythemia, and 0% of normal controls. In a multivariate analysis, increased anglogenesis in MMM correlated significantly with increased spleen size and was found to be a significant and independent risk factor for overall survival. Increases in marrow angiogenesis correlated with hypercellularity and megakaryocyte clumping. In contrast, these 2 features were inversely proportional to reticulin fibrosis, whereas increases in marrow angiogenesis were independent of reticulin fibrosis. These preliminary findings suggest that neo-angiogenesis is an integral component of the bone marrow stromal reaction in MMM and may provide useful prognostic information and a rationale for the therapeutic investigation of anti-angiogenic agents. (C) 2000 by The American Society of Hematology.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)3374-3380
Number of pages7
JournalBlood
Volume96
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 15 2000

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biochemistry
  • Immunology
  • Hematology
  • Cell Biology

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