title: Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor is significantly associated with progression and prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinomas in Taiwan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) correlates with progression and prognosis of several human cancers. The main purposes of this study were to assess expression of VEGF in specimens of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and to evaluate the possible influence of VEGF on the progression and prognosis of OSCC in Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  An immunohistochemical technique was used to examine the expression of VEGF in 100 specimens of OSCC, 66 specimens of oral epithelial dysplasia, and 36 specimens of normal oral mucosa.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that the mean labeling indices (Lis) of VEGF increased significantly from normal oral mucosa (13 ± 6%), through mild (22 ± 8%), moderate (24 ± 13%), and severe oral epithelial dysplasia (32 ± 14%), to OSCC samples (50 ± 18%, p < 0.001). The higher mean VEGF LI was significantly related to OSCC with positive lymph node metastasis (p = 0.022) and with more advanced clinical stages (p = 0.046). In addition, positive lymph node metastasis (p = 0.008) and VEGF LI > 40% (p = 0.046) were identified as independent unfavorable prognosis factors for OSCC patients by multivariate analysis with the Cox regression model. Moreover, the Kaplan-Meier curve showed that OSCC patients with a VEGF LI > 40% had a significantly poorer cumulative survival than those with a VEGF LI ≤ 40% (log-rank test, p = 0.016).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that VEGF may be a biomarker for prediction of the progression and prognosis of OSCC in Taiwan.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Clinical Dentistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shih-Jung
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Jang-Jaer
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sang-Heng
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kok
authors.forename: Chia-Hsuan
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Hao-Hueng
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Hsiang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Meng-Ling
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: Mark Yen-Ping
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Kuo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012737:Sex Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors