title: The clinicopathological significance of tissue levels of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha and vascular endothelial growth factor in gastric cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) is a mediator of tumor progression. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the most potent angiogenic factor known to be induced by HIF-1alpha. We investigated the clinicopathological significance of HIF-1alpha and VEGF levels in biopsied gastric cancer tissue.
  
  
  METHODS
  Endoscopic biopsy specimens from 67 patients with gastric carcinoma who underwent surgery were available for this study. Semiquantitative RT-PCR was applied to biopsied tumors and normal tissues to determine the expressions of HIF-1alpha and VEGF. The expression levels of HIF-1alpha and VEGF were evaluated using the tumor:normal (T/N) ratios of HIF-1alpha and VEGF mRNA. The clinicopathological variables were reviewed retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The T/N ratios of HIF-1alpha mRNA showed significant correlation with lymph-node metastases, distant metastases, stage, and recurrence within 3 years (p<0.05). The T/N ratios of VEGF mRNA showed significant correlation with lymph-node metastases and distant metastases (p<0.05). There was a significant correlation between the T/N ratios of HIF-1alpha and VEGF mRNA (r=0.72, p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The increased expression of HIF-1alpha and VEGF mRNA could reflect aggressive tumor behavior, including the recurrence of gastric cancer. Examination of HIF-1alpha mRNA in biopsy specimens by RT-PCR assay might provide useful preoperative information on tumor aggressiveness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Ewha Medical Research Institute, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seong-Eun
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ki-Nam
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Sung-Ae
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Kwon
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Joo Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee