Abstract: PURPOSE: To investigate the expression and correlation of MIC-1, VEGF and p53 in infantile hemangioma and to clarify the role of MIC-1 in hemangioma evolution. METHODS: Fifty hemangiomas (27 in proliferative phase and 23 in involuting phase) were examined immunohistochemically by SABC method. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS 17.0 software package. RESULTS: MIC-1 was expressed in 85.19% of proliferative hemangiomas, whereas 34.78% in involuting hemangiomas, there was significant difference between proliferation and involuting hemangiomas (P<0.01).MIC-1 was weakly expressed in normal skin and vascular malformations. VEGF was expressed in 96.30% of proliferative hemangiomas, whereas 43.48% in involuting hemangiomas; there was significant difference between proliferation and involuting hemangiomas (P<0.01). p53 was expressed in 81.48% of proliferative hemangiomas, whereas 30.43% in involuting hemangiomas, there was significant difference between proliferation and involuting hemangiomas (P<0.01). There was a significant positive correlation between the expression of MIC-1 and VEGF(r=0.613,P<0.01), and also between MIC-1 and p53 (r=0.753,P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: MIC-1 plays an important role in the development and progress of infantile hemangiomas.

Key words: Infantile hemangioma, MIC-1, VEGF, p53