¹Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gifu University School of Medicine, 1–1 Yanagido, Gifu City 501-1194, Japan

Correspondence: Associate Professor J Fujimoto, E-mail: jf@gifu-u.ac.jp

Received 8 December 2006; Revised 20 March 2007; Accepted 19 April 2007; Published online 15 May 2007.

Abstract

Angiogenesis is essential for development, growth and advancement of solid tumours. Interferon--inducible protein 10 (IP-10) regulates lymphocyte chemotaxis, mediates vascular pericyte proliferation and acts as an angiostatic agent, thus inhibiting tumour growth. This prompted us to study the clinical implications of IP-10 expression related to angiogenesis in uterine cervical cancers. The levels of IP-10 decreased with advancement, and the prognosis of the 30 patients with low IP-10 expression in uterine cervical cancers was poor (66%), whereas the 24-month survival rate of the other patients with high IP-10 expression was 90%. Furthermore, IP-10 levels significantly reverse-correlated with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in uterine cervical cancers. Interferon--inducible protein 10 might work on suppression of angiogenesis associated with VEGF in advancement, and can be recognised as a prognostic indicator. Furthermore, IP-10 activation might be effective on the suppression of regrowth or recurrence after intensive treatment for advanced cervical cancers.