Abstract: Objective To study the role of insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF-Ⅱ) in the proliferation and degeneration of hemangiomas.Methods The expression of IGF-Ⅱ and Ki-67 was detected with SP im-munohistochemical method in 52 specimens of hemangiomas,27 of vascular malformation and 5 of normal skin.The expression of IGF-Ⅱ mRNA was examined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in specimens from 9 cases of hemangiomas and 5 of vascular malformation.Results The labelling indexes (LI) of IGF-Ⅱ and Ki-67 and the expression of IGF-Ⅱ mRNA were significantly higher in heman gioma than those in vascular malformation and normal skin (P<0.01).LI were also higher in hemangioma at proliferative stage than those at degenerative stage (P<0.01).There was significantly positive correlation between LI of IGF-Ⅱ and Ki-67 in hemangioma (r=0.84,P<0.01).The expression of IGF-Ⅱ mRNA was significantly increased in hemangioma at proliferative stage,and not obvious in hemangioma at degenerative stage,vascular malformation and normal skin.Conclusion IGF-Ⅱ is related to the proliferation of vascular endothelial cells in hemangioma.

Key words: Hemagioma, Angiodysplasia, Insulin-like growth factor Ⅱ, Ki-67 antigen