title: [The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-C in oral squamous cell carcinoma and its associations with angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis and lymph node metastasis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and its relation to angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis, as well as lymph node metastasis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-seven archival specimens from patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma were investigated, whose clinicopathologic data were completely conserved. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect the expression of VEGF-C, microvessel density (MVD), lymphatic vessel density (LVD). The correlations between VEGF-C expression and MVD, LVD, as well as other clinicopathological features were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although no correlation between VEGF-C expression and tumor location, histological grade, or gender of the patients was observed (P > 0.05), OSCC patients with more advanced clinical stages and lymph node metastasis were prone to have high expression of VEGF-C (P = 0.015 and P < 0.001, respectively). Cases with high-expression of VEGF-C also showed significantly more often higher LVD (P = 0.001) but not MVD (P = 0.125). In addition, cases with lymph node involvement presented higher LVD than other cases (P = 0.026).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VEGF-C may promote lymph node metastasis by inducing lymphangiogenesis in OSCC.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Si-Xiu
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiao-Yu
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiang-Li
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Feng
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes; D042583:Lymphangiogenesis; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D042601:Lymphatic Vessels; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C