title: Quantitative analysis of lymphangiogenic markers for predicting metastasis of human gastric carcinoma to lymph nodes.
abstract: The spread of tumor cells to regional lymph nodes is an early event of gastric cancer metastasis. In our study, we assessed the expression of lymphangiogenic factors and lymphatic endothelial markers in gastric carcinoma tissues and compared expression levels with the status of lymph node metastasis. We also examined the correlation between lymphatic vessel density (LVD) in primary tumors and lymph node metastasis. Paired biopsy samples (tumor and corresponding normal mucosa) of gastric tissue were obtained from 39 patients with gastric carcinoma. The expression of VEGF-C, VEGF-D, VEGFR-3 and podoplanin mRNAs was assessed by real-time quantitative PCR. The expression of VEGF-C (but not of VEGF-D) was significantly greater in patients with lymph node metastasis than in those without metastasis. The expression of lymphatic endothelial markers VEGFR-3 and podoplanin was also significantly greater in the node-positive group. LVD, as assessed by immunohistochemistry for podoplanin, was correlated with lymph node metastasis. These results indicate that quantitative analysis of lymphangiogenic markers in gastric biopsy specimens may be useful in predicting metastasis of gastric cancer to regional lymph nodes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Molecular Science, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan. kitadai@hiroshima-u.ac.jp <kitadai@hiroshima-u.ac.jp>
authors.forename: Yasuhiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kitadai
authors.forename: Michiyo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kodama
authors.forename: Songde
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.forename: Takehiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ochiumi
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Shunji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsumura
authors.forename: Wataru
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yasui
authors.forename: Kazuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chayama
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D042583:Lymphangiogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D042643:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D040321:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000098853:Podoplanin
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C; D042643:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D; D040321:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3; C117468:PDPN protein, human; D000098853:Podoplanin