The significance of expression of VEGFR-3 signaling associated protein in thyroid cancer / 中华内分泌外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the involvement of VEGFR-3 signaling pathway in lymphatic metastasis of thyroid cancer. Methods The expression of VEGFR-3 mRNA in thyroid carcinoma and normal thyroid tissue was detected by RT-PCR. The expression of VEGFR-3 mRNA and the lymphatic vessel density (LVD) in thyroid carcinoma and normal thyroid tissue was measured by immunohistochemical staining. Results All thyroid cancer samples expressed VEGFR-3 and the expression rate of VEGFR-3 in thyroid carcinoma was significantly higher than that in the normal thyroid group ( P ＜ 0. 05 ). LVD in thyroid cancer was significantly higher than that in normal control. LVD with lymph nodes metastasis ( N + ) was significantly higher than that without lymph node metastasis (NO) (P ＜ 0. 05). Conclusions There is upregulatin of VEGFR-3 expression in thyroid carcinoma. The higher the expression of VEGFR-3, the severer of lymph node metastasis. VEGFR-3 receptor-mediated signal transduction pathway might be an important factor of thyroid cancer lymph node metastasis.