[Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor C and its receptor VEGF-R3 and their significance in non-small cell lung cancer].
BACKGROUND
To determine the relationship between VEGF-C/VEGF-R3 expression and clinicopathologic factors and prognosis of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).


METHODS
VEGF-C and VEGF-R3 expression was detected in 84 patients with NSCLC by immunohistochemical staining. The significance of VEGF-C and VEGF-R3 expression was analyzed statistically.


RESULTS
In the immunoreactive cells, staining was mainly located in cytoplasm and membrane. VEGF-C and VEGF-R3 were highly expressed in lung cancer tissues (55.9% and 59.5%, respectively) while negative in the normal lung tissues. The expression of VEGF-C significantly correlated with histology (P=0.013). VEGF-R3 expression was associated with lymph node metastasis (P=0.002) and TNM stage (P=0.020). Multivariate analysis showed that VEGF-R3 (P < 0.001) and histology (P=0.020) were independent prognostic factors.


CONCLUSIONS
Detection of VEGF-R3 in lung cancer tissues might be helpful to predict prognosis of patients with lung cancer.
Department of Cardiac & Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, P.R.China.
Jun
J
Yi
Tiecheng
T
Pan