This study was designed to examine angiogenesis in rectal carcinoid tumors in relation to the clinicopathologic features. Seventy-seven rectal carcinoid tumors were studied clinicopathologically and experimentally. Cellular proliferation and microvessel density (MVD) were examined immunohistochemically. We used the antibodies MIB-1 for Ki-67, DO7 for p53, and NU-4A1 for CD34 expression in this study. Ki-67 labeling index (LI) of all lesions was below 3%, and the median Ki-67 LI of all lesions was 0.68±0.70% (mean ± SD). A correlation was recognized between tumor size, metastasis and Ki-67 LI (p<0.05). Median MVD of all lesions was 25.9±13.1 (mean ± SD). MVD was correlated with the tumor size (p<0.01), presence of depression (p<0.01), lymphatic (p<0.01) or venous (p<0.05) invasion, and existence of metastasis (p<0.01). But there was no significant relationship between MVD and Ki-67 LI. p53 protein was detected sporadically in only 1 case (1.3%) demonstrating both liver and lymph node metastases. Rectal carcinoid tumors are slow-growing tumors with a lower proliferative activity. Angiogenesis plays an important role in progression of rectal carcinoid tumors independent of the cellular proliferative activity.

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