The effect of pro-angiogenic factors and their receptors on angiogenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma / 中华肿瘤杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effect of pro-angiogenic factors and their receptors on angiogenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Expression of VEGF/KDR and Angiopoietins/Tie2 was detected by RT-PCR and Western blot in 15 cases with hepatocellular carcinoma, 15 tumor adjacent tissues (<1 cm, >5 cm), 8 cirrhotic liver, and 4 normal liver. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to detect CD34 expression, and the relationship between neovascular density and angiogenesis was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expression levels of VEGF and Ang2 were significantly higher in hepacellular carcinoma group than those in the other groups (P < 0.01), and so did the expression of CD34. The expressions of KDR and Ang1/Tie2 showed no significant difference in all groups, but they indeed increased to various levels in tumor and tumor adjacent tissues as compared with those in cirrhosis and normal liver.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>VEGF/KDR and Angiopoietins/Tie2 may be the crucial signal pathways in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma.</p>