Changes In Angiogenesis And Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1 Alpha Protein Expression In Relapsed/Refractory Indolent Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas

Angiogenesis is involved in the pathogenesis and progression of non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL), and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1, also termed HIF1A) might contribute to this process. Currently, there is no direct evidence that the clinical progression of indolent NHL is associated with angiogenesis, and the expression of HIF-1 at recurrence is unknown. Matched lymph node biopsies at diagnosis and recurrence of relapsed/refractory indolent NHL patients were analysed by immunohistochemical and morphometric analysis. We observed an increased vascular network and HIF-1 protein expression in the second biopsy, providing direct evidence that angiogenesis is an essential process for disease progression.