ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) expression and its clinical significance in malignant lymphoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Lymphoma cells were isolated by laser microdissection. VEGF-C expression in lymphoma tissue and microdissected lymphoma cells was measured by realtime quantitative PCR. Meanwhile, vessel ultrastructure was identified by transmission electron microscopy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Comparing with that in 8 patients with reactive lymphocyte hyperplasia, VEGF-C was overexpressed in angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, both in lymphoma tissue (n = 18, P = 0.0020) and in microdissected lymphoma cells (n = 10, P < 0.0001). Increased VEGF-C level was associated with bone marrow infiltration (P = 0.0039), skin involvement (P = 0.0046) and high-risk international prognostic index (P = 0.0302). In VEGF-C overexpressed cases, ultrastructural study showed dystrophic vessels, with swelling endothelial cells and absence of pericytes.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The value of VEGF-C expression might be a biomarker of disease progression in angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma.</p>