The growth of most tumors depends on the formation of new blood vessels. In contrast to genetically unstable tumor cells, endothelial cells of tumor vessels are believed to be normal diploid cells that do not acquire mutations. We have recently observed that microvessel endothelial cells of patients with B-cell lymphomas carry lymphoma specific aberrations (
). The aim of this study was to determine whether hematological malignancies other than B-cell lymphomas also carry disease specific genetic aberrations. Using a combined immunohistochemical and fluorescence in situ hybridization assay, we investigated the endothelial cells of 5 multiple myelomas, 6 anaplastic large cell lymphomas, 1 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, 4 chronic myeloid leukemias, 3 acute myeloid leukemias and 1 acute lymphoblastic leukemia for cytogenetic alterations that were known to be present in the malignant hematopoietic cells. We found that microvascular endothelial cells of all investigated cases harbored the disease-specific chromosomal aberrations. The percentages of genetically aberrant endothelial cells were highest in chronic myeloid leukemia (median 63%) and multiple myeloma (median 42%) and lowest in anaplastic large cell lymphoma (median 15%). Our findings suggest that the genetic relationship between tumor cells and their endothelium is a common phenomenon of hematological malignancies and reflect a novel aspect of tumor angiogenesis.
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