title: Pre-operative plasma levels of vascular endothelial growth factor A, C and D in patients with colorectal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C and VEGF-D are angiogenic and lymphangiogenic members of the VEGF family of growth factors. Increased VEGF-C or VEGF-D expression in human tumours may be associated with lymph-node metastasis and lymphatic invasion. Circulating plasma levels of VEGF-A, VEGF-C and VEGF-D were measured in patients with colorectal cancer, and assessed for their usefulness as a diagnostic tool for determining lymph-node metastasis.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and twenty patients with colorectal cancer and 50 healthy control patients were included in the study. Plasma growth-factor levels were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences in plasma VEGF-C or VEGF-D levels were seen between patients subgrouped by clinicopathological variables. In particular, there were no differences in median plasma VEGF-C or VEGF-D level in patients with and without lymph-node involvement (VEGF-C: 11.2 U/ml [range, 4.9-51.9] vs 9.9 U/ml [4.4-93.4 U/ml]; P = 0.90; VEGF-D: 335 pg/ml [113-1102] vs 316.5 pg/ml [0-1343]; P = 0.68).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Circulating plasma levels of VEGF-C and VEGF-D do not allow pre-operative identification of lymph-node status in patients with colorectal cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Christie Hospital NHS Trust, Manchester, UK. saraheduff@aol.com
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Duff
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saunders
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: McCredie
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: O'Dwyer
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Jayson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000097:blood; D042643:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D / Q000097:blood; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: C467484:VEGFA protein, human; C467486:VEGFC protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C; D042643:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors