Immunohistochemical assessment of angiogenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma and surrounding cirrhotic liver tissues.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was over-expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or in surrounding cirrhotic liver tissues.


METHODS
Immunohistochemistry was performed to investigate the expression of VEGF proteins in HCC tissues from 105 consecutive patients undergoing curative resection for HCC. The immunostaining results and related clinicopathologic materials were analyzed with statistical methods. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival curves, and Log-rank test was performed to compare differences in survival rates of the patients with positive HCC staining and negative VEGF.


RESULTS
VEGF-positive expression was found in 72 of 105 HCC patients (68.6%). Capsular infiltration (P = 0.005), vascular invasion (P = 0.035) and intrahepatic metastasis (P = 0.008) were observed more frequently in patients with VEGF-positive expression than in those with VEGF-negative expression. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that VEGF-positive expression was associated with a shorter overall survival (P = 0.014). VEGF-positive expression was found in 47 of tissues 68 HCC (69.1%), and VEGF-positive expression was found in 54 of 68 surrounding cirrhotic liver tissues (79.4%). VEGF-positive expression was significantly higher in surrounding cirrhotic liver tissues than in HCC (P = 0.017).


CONCLUSIONS
VEGF may play an important role in the angiogenesis and prognosis of HCC, as well as in the angiogenesis of liver cirrhosis.
Deli
Geertu
G
Department of General Surgery, the Hospital of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, 20 Zhaowuda Rd, Hohhot 010017, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. delitu@263.net
Jin
Can-Hao
CH
Mu
Rong
R
Yang
Song
S
Liang
Yue
Y
Chen
De
D
Makuuchi
Masatoshi
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000098:blood supply / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
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