Significance of VEGF-C and VEGF-D in lymphatic metastasis of pancreatic cancer / 国际肿瘤学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To analyze the intratumoral and peritumoral microvessel density (MVD) and microlymphatic vessel density (MLVD) in pancreatic cancer and record the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)-C and VEGF-D. And to explore the significance of VEGF-C and VEGF-D during the lymphatic metastasis and development of pancreatic cancer. Methods The expression of VEGF-C and VEGF-D, VEGF-R3, CD34 were assayed by immunohistochemical staining in 30 cases of pancreatic cancer tissues. Results The positive rates of VEGF-C and VEGF-D protein in the central portion of tumors (30% and 16.7%) were significantly lower than those in the marginal portion (73.3% and 56.7%), P <0.01. The group with high expression of VEGF-C and VEGF-D in the marginal portion had significantly higher incidences of lymph node metastasis, lymphatic invasion and venous invasion( P <0. 01 ). MLVD in both of the VEGF-C and VEGF-D positive groups was higher than that in the negative groups( P <0. 01 ), and the lymph node me-tastasis increased. MVD in VEGF-C positive group was significantly higher than that in the negative group. MVD had no significant difference between VEGF-D positive and negative group ( P =0. 07). Conclusions The expression of VEGF-C and VEGF-D in the marginal portion of tumor is significantly correlated with lym-phatic metastasis in pancreatic cancer patients, and may induce lymphangiogenesis. VEGF-C may play an im-portant role in the regulation of angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in pancreatic cancer, and VEGF- D maybe only participate in the regulation of lymphangiogenesis.