title: Lymphagenesis correlates with expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-C in colorectal cancer.
abstract: Lymphagenesis in gastrointestinal tumors is not well described. To clarify its presence and regulation, we assessed the microlymphatic count (MLC) in colorectal cancer patients. Lymphatic vessels were evaluated by enzyme-histochemistry for 5'-nucleotidase (5'-NA). Since vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C is reportedly associated with lymphagenesis, the expression of VEGF-C protein was immunohistochemically assessed by the catalyzed signal amplification (CSA) method. MLC of peritumoral lesions was significantly higher than that of non-cancer and intratumoral lesions (p<0.01); it increased where VEGF-C was highly expressed (p<0.01) and increased with the depth of invasion in peritumoral lesions. These results indicate significant findings at peritumoral lesion: that lymphagenesis may be elicited by tumor spread; that VEGF-C expression is associated with lymphagenesis and is a potent factor stimulating lymphagenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kobe University, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-Ku, Kobe 650-0017, Japan. ohno@med.kobe-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masakazu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Yukihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kunimoto
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chung-Kang
authors.forename: Yoshikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kuroda
mesh_terms: D015720:5'-Nucleotidase / Q000378:metabolism; D000368:Aged; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008208:Lymphatic System / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C; D015720:5'-Nucleotidase