title: Up-regulation of VEGF-C secreted by cancer cells and not VEGF-A correlates with clinical evaluation of lymph node metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).
abstract: Tissue expression of VEGF-C correlates with lymph node involvement (LNI) in ESCC and serum VEGF-C (sVEGF-C) in a non-small cell lung cancer has been more accurate marker of LNI than chest CT. Despite LNI importance in ESCC, the usefulness of serum VEGF-C (sVEGF-C) as a disease and LNI marker in ESCC has not been investigated yet. We found elevated sVEGF-C in ESCC (17.40 vs. 10.57 ng/ml in controls, p<0.001). It proved to be a better ESCC marker than described elsewhere: CEA, CA19-9 and SCC-Ag, with: sensitivity--70%, specificity--81%, accuracy--83.7%. Analysis of sVEGF-C correlation with clinico-pathological cancer features revealed relation to LNI (N0: 15.77 vs. N1: 21.78 ng/ml, p=0.02), especially in advanced cancers. Serum VEGF-C as a marker of LNI was characterized by: sensitivity--76%, specificity--58%, accuracy--64.4%. No relation was observed between LNI and sVEGF-A or sVEGF-A/platelets (PLT). Because sVEGF-C was higher in N0 cancers (p<0.01), the tumor presence also up-regulates sVEGF-C. We found sVEGF-C correlation with PLT and WBC: R=0.36 and R=0.32 (p<0.01). Nevertheless, analysis of PLT and WBC dependence on cancer features implies that elevation of sVEGF-C in N1 cancers is not related to them.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland. krzystek@bioch.am.wroc.pl
authors.forename: Malgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krzystek-Korpacka
authors.forename: Malgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matusiewicz
authors.forename: Dorota
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Diakowska
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Grabowski
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Blachut
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Banas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000556:secondary*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015854:Up-Regulation; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: C467486:VEGFC protein, human; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C