RESUMO
Objective To assess roles of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)and plateletderived growth factor(PDGF)in the mechanisms of lymphangiogenesis in epithelial ovarian carcinoma.Methods (1)Expression of Proxl,a newly described lymphatic endothelial cell nucleus marker,VEGF-A,VEGF-C,VEGF-D and PDGF-A,PDGF-B,PDGF-C,PDGF-D were detected bv RT-PCR in SKOV3 cell line and in 90 ovarian tissue samples,included 15 benigh tumors 10 borderline tumors, 45 malignant tumors and 20 normal ovarian samples.(2)Expression levels of Proxl,VEGF-A,-C,-D and PDGF-A,-B,-C,-D were detected in 90 ovarian tissue sample mentioned above by real-time quantitative PCR(RTQPCR).Resuls (1)Proxl was expressed in ovarian samples mentioned above,while not detected in SKOV3 cell. VEGF-A,-C,-D and PDGF-A,-B,-C,-D were found in SKOV3 cell and various ovarian tissues.(2)Expression levels of Proxl(2.2±1.3,P＜0.01),VEGF-A(3.5±1.5,P＜0.01),VEGF-C(19±14.P＜0.01),VEGF-D(3.0±1.8,P＜0.01)and PDGF-A(3.3±3.3,P＜0.05),PDGF-C(6.9±4.6,P＜0.01)in malignant group were found to be significantly higher than those in borderline group and benign group.(3)The expression levels of Proxl,VEGF-A and PDGF-A were significantly greater in samples from the patients with lymph node metastasis(Proxl:3.0±1.4,VEGF-A:4.1± 1.7,PDGF-A:4.9±4.1),peritoneum metastasis(Proxl:2.8±0.9,VEGF-A:4.0±1. 8,PDGF-A:4.5±4.0)and in stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ(Proxl:2.6±1.3,VEGF-A:4.0±1.4,PDGF-A:4.1±3.7)than those without lymph node metastasis,without peritoneum metastasis and in stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ.There was a significant increased in the degree of VEGF-C and VEGF-D expression in positive lymph node metastasis group(VEGF-C:24±13,VEGF-D:3.9±2.0)compared with negative group(P＜0.05).(4)There were significant positive correlations between the expression levels of Proxl and VEGF-D(r=0.62,P＜0.01),PDGF-C(r=0.91,P＜0.01)or PDGF-D(r=0.61.P＜0.01).Conclusions VEGF-A,VEGF-C and PDGF-A may promote lymphatic metastasis in epithelial ovarian carcinoma though else mechanisms other than lymphangiogenesis.VEGF-D may facilitate lymphangiogenesis and lymph node metastasis in epithelial ovarian cancer.There is no significant correlation between the expression of PDGF-B and lymphangiogenesis and lymph node metastasis.PCGF-C and PDGF-D may motivate lymphangiogenesis,but could not participate in lymph node metastasis in ovarian carcinoma.