Lymphatic microvessel density using D2-40 is associated with nodal metastasis in non-small cell lung cancer.
The monoclonal antibody D2-40 is a new selective marker for lymphatic endothelium. The lymphatic microvessel density (LMVD) using D2-40 has not yet been evaluated in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of this study was to evaluate LMVD using D2-40 in NSCLC. We investigated LMVD in 77 patients with NSCLC who underwent curative tumor resection. We also determined the relation between LMVD and clinicopathologic factors, VEGF-C and Ang-2 and microvessel density (MVD) using factor VIII-related antigen. The median number of D2-40-positive vessels in the highest LMVD was 25 (range, 5-71). LMVD was significantly associated with tumor status, lymph node metastasis, stage, lymphatic invasion, VEGF-C protein and MVD (p=0.0149 for tumor status; p<0.0001 for nodal status; p<0.0001 for stage; p=0.0153 for lymphatic invasion; p=0.0030 for VEGF-C, and p=0.0029 for MVD). Furthermore, LMVD using D2-40 expression was shown to be an independent predictor of lymph node metastasis by multivariate analysis (p=0.0070). These data indicate that a high LMVD by D2-40 may be an indicator of lymph node metastasis in NSCLC.
Takanami
Iwao
I
Department of Surgery, Teikyo University School of Medicine, 11-1 Kaga 2-Chome, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan. takanami@med.teikyo-u.ac.jp
D000809:Angiotensins / Q000378:metabolism; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D004729:Endothelium, Lymphatic / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D011379:Prognosis; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000378:metabolism
D000809:Angiotensins; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C467486:VEGFC protein, human; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C; C500987:monoclonal antibody D2-40