title: Clinical significance of vascular endothelial growth factors C and D and chemokine receptor CCR7 in gastric cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to investigate the clinical significance of lymphangiogenic vascular endothelial growth factors C and D, and chemokine receptor CCR7 in the lymphatic spread of gastric cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expressions of VEGF-C and -D, and CCR7 were examined in 82 gastric tumors showing a discrepancy between the degree of lymphatic invasion (Ly) and the status of lymph node metastasis (N) (Ly+N-: 72, and Ly-N+: 10 patients).
  
  
  RESULTS
  High expression of VEGF-C and -D, and CCR7 was present in 88%, 63% and 67% of cases, respectively. The VEGF-C expression was significantly higher in Ly+N- than Ly-N+ (p<0.05), but VEGF-D and CCR7 were not. CCR7 expression was a prognostic factor in the Ly+N- subgroup (p<0.05), but VEGF-C and -D were not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VEGF-C and -D and CCR7 may play critical roles in lymphatic invasion in primary tumors. CCR7 expression should provide prognostic information in node-negative gastric cancer patients showing lymphatic invasion.
authors.affiliation: Division of Digestive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 6028566, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Deguchi
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Soga
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kosuga
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takeshita
authors.forename: Hirotaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Konishi
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Morimura
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsujiura
authors.forename: Shuhei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Komatsu
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shiozaki
authors.forename: Kazuma
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.forename: Eigo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Otsuji
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011379:Prognosis; D054400:Receptors, CCR7 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology; D042643:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: C515370:CCR7 protein, human; D054400:Receptors, CCR7; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C; D042643:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D