Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) expression in mycosis fungoides

AIMS:High levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) seem to herald a worse prognosis in mycosis fungoides (MF). METHODS AND RESULTS:Firstly, we compared VEGF mRNA levels in MF and in normal T-lymphocytes samples. Notably, significantly higher VEGF levels were found in MF. Then, we studied VEGF gene expression in different normal T-cell subsets, focusing on CD4+, CD8+, resting and activated T-lymphocytes. Furthermore, we applied the gene signatures of the normal T-cell subsets to MF samples and found that activated T-lymphocytes represented the closest normal counterpart of the tumour. However, VEGF mRNA levels turned out to be significantly higher in MF than in activated normal T-cells suggesting that VEGF over-expression in MF represents an attribute acquired during neoplastic transformation. Notably, no significant VEGF expression differences were recorded between early and advanced stages. Gene expression profile results were supported by immunohistochemistry in routine sections from 27 MF cases. CONCLUSIONS:For the first time, we demonstrated VEGF expression in MF cells, suggesting that the VEGF pathway may be implicated in MF pathogenesis and can represent a novel therapeutic target.