Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and basic Fibroblast Growth Factor Expression in Early Gastric Carcinomas: Correlation with Clinicopathologic Factors / 대한암학회지

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Recent studies have demonstrated that angiogenesis and its inducers such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) play an important role in growth, progression, and metastasis in gastric carcinomas. In this study, the authors investigated the prognostic significance of angiogenesis, VEGF, bFGF with respect to conventional clinicopathologic factors in early gastric adenocarcinomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-six specimens resected from patients with early gastric carcinomas were investigated by immunohistochemical staining with antibodies against VEGF, bFGF, and CD31. RESULTS: In this study, high expression rates of VEGF and bFGF as well as high level of angiogenesis were observed. In addition, the expression rate of VEGF was correlated well with angiogenesis. However, the clinicopathologic factors, such as age, sex, location, growth pattern, lymph node metastasis, submucosal invasion, and degree of differentiation, were not significantly associated with the expression of VEGF and bFGF, and angiogenesis. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that controlling angiogenesis and its inducers might be a therapeutic target rather than a prognostic factor in early gastric carcinomas.