Abstract
Review: Osteosarcoma is considered a primary cancer type of bone neoplasms with locally destructive behavior. Chondrosarcoma is a malignant neoplasm of bone in which there is a production of carti‌lage matrix by the neoplastic cells. Hedgehog pathway activation is important in osteoblast and chondroblast differentiation. Abnormal activation of the Hh pathway results in malignant neoplasms formation such as stomach cancer, breast, intestinal cancer and prostate cancer. Many researches assume the participation of Hh activation in cancer-related neovascularization. VEGFR2 is a type V receptor tyrosine kinase which is seen in vascular endothelial cells. The receptor is activated when attached to its (VEGF) ligand, which starts a phosphorylation steps that finally stimulates activation of endothelial cell growth and migration.
Aim of study: The current study was performed to examine the immunohistochemical presence of SHH in both osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma and correlate its presence with angiogenesis, which has a main part in the spread and invasion of cancer.
Material and Methods: Immunohistochemical expression of SHH and VEGFR2 was evaluated in 10 samples of jaw osteosarcoma cases and 10 samples of jaw chondrosarcoma.
Results: Osteosarcoma expression for both SHH and VEGFR-2, was significantly higher compared to chondrosarcoma with non statistically significant positive correlation between SHH and VEGFR-2 (P-value >0.001) in both lesions .
Conclusion: The over expression of SHH in both osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma indicates its important role in carcinogenesis of these tumors . The positive correlation between SHH and VEGFR2 donates the crucial role of SHH in activation of angiogenesis.