ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To detect the expression of VEGF-C mRNA and to investigate its relationship with clinicopathological parameters in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR was used to measure the level of VEGF-C mRNA in the tumor tissue and corresponding normal mucosa in ESCC patients.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The VEGF-C mRNA expression in tumor tissue was significantly higher than that in the corresponding normal mucosa (6.30 vs. 2.81, P = 0.02), and also significantly higher in the patients with lymph node metastasis than that in those without lymph node metastasis (10.11 vs. 4.15, P = 0.04). Among the patients with metastatic lymph nodes, VEGF-C mRNA expression was 62.19 in the patients with > or = 4 metastatic lymph nodes versus 6.30 in those with < 4 (P = 0.01), and 18.98 in the patients with > or = 3 metastatic lymph node stations versus 4.92 in those with < 3 (P = 0.04). In terms of stage, VEGF-C mRNA expression was significantly higher in the stage II b + III + IV than that in the stage I + II a (9.99 vs. 3.80, P = 0.03). Logistic binary regression analysis showed that VEGF-C mRNA was an independent risk factor for lymph node metastasis in ESCC (P = 0.01). In survival analysis, 2-year survival rate was not related with VEGF-C mRNA expression (P = 0.46). It was showed by COX regression model that the number of metastatic lymph node stations was the only independent risk factor for survival (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The expression of VEGF-C mRNA play an important role in lymph node metastasis of human ESCC.</p>
Subject(s)
Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell , Metabolism , Pathology , General Surgery , Esophageal Neoplasms , Metabolism , Pathology , General Surgery , Esophagectomy , Methods , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic , Logistic Models , Lymph Node Excision , Lymphatic Metastasis , Neoplasm Staging , Proportional Hazards Models , RNA, Messenger , Metabolism , Survival Rate , Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C , MetabolismABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the levels of serum vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) and relationships with c1inicopatho1ogica1 characteristics and their clinical significance. Methods The concentrations of serum VEGF and bFGF were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) in 40 patients with NSCLC before and after chemotherapy. Results The level of serum VEGF in patients with Ⅳ stage NSCLC was significantly higher than that of Ⅲ stage(P
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the relationship of micrometastatic cancer cells in the blood and prognosis of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Blood samples were collected from peripheral vein perioperatively and from the pulmonary vein intraoperatively in NSCLC patients. Cancer cells were detected by flow cytometry, as described previously. The patients were followed up and analyzed statistically.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Cancer cells in blood samples were detected in 20 of 58 patients (34.5%). Patients under 57 years of age or with stage III/IV lesions had higher positive findings than those over 57 years or with stage I/II lesions (P = 0.000 and 0.006, respectively). On the basis of 40 month follow-up data, the 2- and 3-year survival rates of patients with positive and negative results were 30.0% vs 20.0%, and 52.6% vs 50.0%, respectively. There was significant difference between the overall survival curves which favored patients with negative findings (P = 0.0291 and 0.0092, respectively).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>This study indicates that cancer cells can be detected in the blood perioperatively from NSCLC patients which means poor prognosis.</p>