Clinical significance of vascular endothelial growth factor-C and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 in patients with T1 lung adenocarcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) plays an important role in lymphangiogenesis and activates VEGF receptor-3 (VEGFR-3). Lymphatic spread is an important prognostic factor in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. The aim of the current study was to determine whether the expression of VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 correlates with clinicopathologic factors and prognosis in patients with TNM classification T1 lung adenocarcinoma.


METHODS
The authors conducted a retrospective review of 129 consecutive patients who underwent complete resection for T1 lung adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining for VEGF-C, VEGF, VEGFR-3, CD34 (microvessels), tryptase (mast cells), and CD68 (macrophages) was performed to statistically analyze clinicopathologic implications of VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 status.


RESULTS
Of 129 patients with T1 lung adenocarcinoma, 56 (43.3%) patients were positive for tumor-cell VEGF-C and 73 (56.6%) and 69 (53.5%) patients were positive for tumor-cell and endothelial-cell VEGFR-3, respectively. Patients with positive staining for tumor-cell VEGF-C showed significantly less favorable survival rates than patients with negative staining (P = 0.031). The survival rates of patients with positive staining for tumor-cell and endothelial-cell VEGFR-3 were significantly lower than those with negative staining (P = 0.0034 and P = 0.0020, respectively). Patients with positive staining for both tumor-cell VEGF-C and endothelial-cell VEGFR-3 exhibited the most unfavorable prognoses. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that coexpression of tumor-cell VEGF-C and endothelial-cell VEGFR-3 was an independent negative prognostic factor (P = 0.0129) as well as N factor (P = 0.0020).


CONCLUSIONS
VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 status may be indicative of survival rates for patients with T1 lung adenocarcinoma.
Kojima
Hiroshi
H
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Obihiro Kyokai Hospital, Obihiro, Japan.
Shijubo
Noriharu
N
Yamada
Gen
G
Ichimiya
Shingo
S
Abe
Shosaku
S
Satoh
Masaaki
M
Sato
Noriyuki
N
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000378:metabolism; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D015996:Survival Rate; D053802:Tryptases; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000378:metabolism*; D040321:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3 / Q000378:metabolism*
D018952:Antigens, CD34; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C; D040321:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D053802:Tryptases