title: [A study on the relationship between VEGF-C expression and lymphatic metastasis in non-small cell lung cancer].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It has been known that an intensive relationship exists between the recurrence or metastasis and angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but it is uncertain whether there is relationship between VEGF-C expression and angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in NSCLC tissues. This study is to explore the relationship among VEGF-C expression and angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis in NSCLC tissues.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of VEGF-C was detected in 78 lung cancer tissues with or without lymphatic metastasis by LSAB methods. Microvessel density (MVD) and lymphatic microvessel density (LMVD) were determined in the same patients by CD31 and VEGFR-3 respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positive rate of VEGF-C expression was 52.6% (41/78) in NSCLC tissues; VEGF-C expression in lung cancer tissues with lymphatic metastasis (30/43, 69.7%) was significantly higher than that without lymphatic metastasis (11/35, 30.3%) (P < 0.05); LMVD in the group without VEGF-C expression (23.4±2.3) was significantly lower than that with VEGF-C expression (43.2±4.1) (P < 0.05), there was no singificant difference in MVD between the two groups (31.1±1.8 vs 28.1± 3.2) (P > 0.05); the MVD and LMVD in lung cancer tissues with lymphatic metastasis (33.6±1.1 and 41.3±3.3 respectively) were significantly higher than those without lymphatic metastasis (18.7±1.8 and 25.7± 2.1 respectively) (P < 0 05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that VEGF-C may play an important role in the lymphatic metastasis of lung cancer through the regulation of lymphangiogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanyang Healthy School, Nanyang, Henan 473058, P.R.China.
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Guosheng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xuezhao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li