Clinical significance of vascular endothelial growth factor C and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 in patients with nonsmall cell lung carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) plays an important role in lymphangiogenesis and activates VEGF receptor 3 (VEGFR-3). By contrast, lymphatic spread is an important prognostic factor in patients with nonsmall cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). The objective of the current study was to determine whether the expression of VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 correlates with clinicopathologic factors and prognosis in patients with primary NSCLC.


METHODS
The authors conducted a retrospective review of 180 consecutive patients who underwent complete resection for NSCLC and who did not receive any chemotherapy or radiotherapy prior to surgery. Immunohistochemical staining for VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 was performed. The clinicopathologic implications of VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 expression were analyzed statistically.


RESULTS
Of 180 patients with NSCLC, 137 patients (76.1%) were positive for VEGF-C, and 40 patients (22.2%) were positive for VEGFR-3. VEGF-C expression was observed frequently in patients with adenocarcinoma (P = 0.026). For VEGFR-3 expression, significant correlations were demonstrated with age (P = 0.02), gender (P = 0.008), and histologic differentiation in patients with squamous cell carcinoma (P = 0.03). Patients who had positive staining for VEGF-C showed significantly less favorable survival rates compared with patients who had negative staining for VEGF-C (P = 0.003). The survival rates of patients who had positive staining for VEGFR-3 also were significantly lower compared with patients who had negative staining for VEGFR-3 (P < 0.001). Patients who had positive staining for both VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 exhibited the most unfavorable prognoses. Univariate analysis revealed the following prognostic factors: gender (P = 0.03), tumor status (T1,T2 vs. T3; P < 0.01), lymph node status (negative vs. positive; P < 0.01), tumor size (< or = 35 mm vs. > 35 mm; P < 0.01), disease stage (Stage I vs. Stages II and III; P < 0.01), VEGF-C expression (negative vs. positive; P < 0.01), VEGFR-3 expression (negative vs. positive; P < 0.01) and combined VEGF-C and/or VEGFR-3 expression (both positive vs. VEGF-C or VEGFR-3 positive; P < 0.01). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that VEGFR-3 expression was the only independent negative prognostic factor (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 expression may be indicative of survival rates for patients with NSCLC.
Arinaga
Mitsuyuki
M
Department of Surgery II, Oita Medical University, Oita, Japan. arinaga@oita-med.ac.jp
Noguchi
Tsuyoshi
T
Takeno
Shinsuke
S
Chujo
Masao
M
Miura
Takashi
T
Uchida
Yuzo
Y
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C; D040321:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3 / Q000378:metabolism*
D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C; D040321:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3