[Expression and clinical significance of vascular endothelial growth factor C and D in nasopharyngeal carcinoma].
OBJECTIVE
Recently, vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) and -D (VEGF-D) have been identified as specific lymphangiogenic factors, and their overexpression are related to lymphatic metastasis. This study was to investigate the expression and clinical significance of VEGF-C and VEGF-D in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).


METHODS
The expression of VEGF-C, VEGF-D, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3 (VEGFR-3), and CD34 in 66 specimens of NPC and 19 specimens of nasopharyngitis tissue were detected by SP immunohistochemistry. Lymphatic microvessel density (LMVD) and microvessel density (MVD) were calculated.


RESULTS
The high expression rate of VEGF-C was significantly higher in NPC than in nasopharyngitis tissues (54.5% vs. 26.3%, P<0.05). The high expression rate of VEGF-C was significantly higher in the NPC with regional lymph node metastasis than in those without, and higher in the NPC with high T stage than in those with low T stage (P<0.05). Both univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that high expression of VEGF-C was correlated to regional lymph node metastasis (P<0.05), but not to age, sex, 5-year survival, LMVD, and MVD (P>0.05). The positive rate of VEGF-D was significantly higher in NPC tissues than in adjacent non-cancerous tissues (69.7% vs. 42.1%, P<0.05). In NPC tissues, VEGF-D expression had no correlations to age, sex, T stage, regional lymph node metastasis, LMVD, and MVD (P>0.05), but was positively related to high expression of VEGF-C. The 5-year survival rate was significantly lower in VEGF-D-positive NPC than in VEGF-D-negative NPC (50.0% vs. 85.0%, P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
In NPC, high expression of VEGF-C is closely correlated to regional lymph node metastasis; positive expression of VEGF-D shows no correlation to regional lymph node metastasis, but is positively related to high expression of VEGF-C and closely correlated to 5-year survival rate.
Zhao
Guo-Guang
GG
State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, P. R. China. zhaogg111@sina.com
Xiang
Xiao-Juan
XJ
He
You-Jian
YJ
D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D055806:Microvessels / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D015996:Survival Rate; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000378:metabolism*; D042643:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D / Q000378:metabolism*; D040321:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3 / Q000378:metabolism
D018952:Antigens, CD34; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C; D042643:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D; D040321:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3