The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-A and -C, and receptors 1 and 3: correlation with lymph node metastasis and prognosis in tongue squamous cell carcinoma.
We determined whether the expression of VEGF-A and -C and their receptors, Flt-1 and Flt-4, are associated with primary tumor size, regional lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis and prognosis in patients with tongue carcinoma. The expression of VEGF-A and -C, and their receptors, Flt-1 and Flt-4, in biopsy specimens taken from 73 patients with tongue carcinoma were examined by immunohistochemical staining. VEGF-A expression was associated with distant failure and VEGF-C expression correlated with locoregional recurrence and distant failure. Furthermore, VEGF-C expression was associated with lymph node recurrence in N0 cases. Multivariate analysis revealed that VEGF-C expression was an exclusively independent factor influencing lymph node metastasis. In terms of the overall 5-year survival rate, there was no significance correlation between the overall 5-year survival rate and expression of VEGF-A, Flt-1 and Flt-4 expression, whereas there was a significant difference between VEGF-C-positive and VEGF-C-negative cases (VEGF-C-positive, 51.7% vs VEGF-C-negative, 94.2%). Furthermore, there was a significant difference between positive and negative expression for both VEGF-A and VEGF-C. Multivariate analysis revealed that lymph node metastasis and VEGF-C expression were exclusive, independent factors influencing the overall survival rate. VEGF-C expression may be a predictive factor of regional lymph node recurrence and prognosis in patients with tongue carcinoma.
Department of Biology and Function in the Head and Neck, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan. tyuji428@yahoo.co.jp
Yuji
Y
Tanigaki
Yoji
Y
Nagashima
Yoshiaki
Y
Kitamura
Hideki
H
Matsuda
Yasukazu
Y
Mikami
Mamoru
M
Tsukuda
D017677:Age Distribution; D001706:Biopsy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D047368:Tumor Burden; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000378:metabolism*; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D040321:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3 / Q000378:metabolism*
D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1; D040321:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3