title: [Expression and clinical significance of vascular endothelial growth factor C and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 in non-small cell lung carcinoma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 (VEGFR-3) play important roles in lymphangiogenesis of malignant tumors; their expression are closely related to lymphatic metastasis of malignant tumors. This study was designed to investigate the expression and clinical significance of VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 in 77 specimens of NSCLC were detected by immunohistochemistry; their correlations to lymphatic vessel density (LVD), tumor size, histological type, differentiation, lymphatic metastasis, clinical recurrence, and survival time of the patients were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Positive rate of VEGF-C was 58% in NSCLC, and that of VEGFR-3 was 42%. The expression of VEGF-C protein was negatively correlated with the differentiation of NSCLC (r=-0.32, P=0.018). The expression of VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 were related to lymphatic metastasis, LVD, tumor size, and survival time of the patients. The expression of VEGF-C was positively related with that of VEGFR-3 (r=0.23, P=0.045).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The expression of VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 are closely related with lymphatic metastasis and prognosis of NSCLC; their high expression indicate high risk of lymphatic metastasis and poor prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China. suiweian2005@21cn.com
authors.forename: Zhi-Qiang
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Hai-Gang
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: De-Rong
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Hui-Zhong
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xi-Ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Yun-Jie
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D042583:Lymphangiogenesis; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D042601:Lymphatic Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000378:metabolism*; D040321:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C; D040321:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3