Lymphatic vessel density as a predictor of lymph node metastasis and its relationship with prognosis in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder.
OBJECTIVE
• To determine the correlation of lymphatic vessel density (LVD) with lymph node metastasis (LNM), investigate the impact of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C mRNA expression on LVD, and evaluate the impact of LVD on prognosis of bladder urothelial carcinoma (BUC).


METHODS
• In 56 samples of BUC, the lymphatic vessels were immunostained with polyclonal antibodies against VEGF receptor 3 (VEGFR-3). LVD was evaluated in both intratumoural and peritumoural tissues. • The expression level of VEGF-C mRNA was assessed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. • The correlation of LVD with VEGF-C mRNA and other clinicopathological parameters was also investigated.


RESULTS
• VEGFR-3 was expressed in lymphatic vessel endothelial cytoplasm. As the expression level of VEGF-C became higher, the intratumoural and peritumoural LVD increased significantly (P < 0.05). • At the same time, increased intratumoural and peritumoural LVD also presented in patients with lymphatic vessel invasion and LNM of BUC (P < 0.05). • In addition, increased peritumoural LVD and LNM predicted a poor recurrence-free survival (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
• It is suggested that in BUC, VEGF-C expression may contribute to lymphangiogenesis. • Patients with high peritumoural LVD and LNM tend to have a poor prognosis. • Inhibition of the blocking VEGF-C/VEGFR-3 pathway may attenuate lymphangiogenesis and represent a new target for investigational treatment of urothelial carcinoma of the bladder.
Zhou
Mi
M
Department of Urology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha city, Hunan Province, China.
He
Leye
L
Zu
Xiongbing
X
Zhang
Huihui
H
Zeng
Huaide
H
Qi
Lin
L
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D042583:Lymphangiogenesis; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D042601:Lymphatic Vessels / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000378:metabolism*; D040321:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3 / Q000378:metabolism*
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C; D040321:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3