title: Caveolin-1 and VEGF-C promote lymph node metastasis in the absence of intratumoral lymphangiogenesis in non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Caveolin-1 is a key component of membrane caveolae which plays an important role in cell transformation, cell migration, metastasis and angiogenesis. The mechanism of caveolin-1 and VEGF-C in lymphatic metastasis of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still unclear. This study aimed to define the caveolin-1 and VEGF-C expression and lymph vessel density in NSCLC and look for correlations with clinicopathological features in NSCLC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Caveolin-1, VEGF-C, and D2-40 protein expression were assessed by immunohistochemistry in a tissue microarray constructed from 70 NSCLCs and 12 normal lungs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Caveolin-1 expression was detected in 31 of 70 (44.3%) NSCLCs, which was significantly lower than its expression in normal lungs (9 of 12, 75%; P = 0.049). Expression ofVEGF-C was detected in 49 of 70 (70%) NSCLCs and 4 of 12 (33.3%) normal lungs (P = 0.022). Both caveolin-1 and VEGF-C expression were correlated with lymph node metastasis of NSCLC (P = 0.001; P = 0.028). Moreover, caveolin-1 expression was correlated with tumor stage, histological type, and differentiation grade (P = 0.012; P = 0.038; P = 0.002). VEGF-C expression was correlated only with histological type (P = 0.020). There was no correlation between intratumoral lymph vessel density and any clinicopathological parameters including lymph node status. Furthermore, there was no correlation between caveolin-1 expression, VEGF-C expression, and lymph vessel density.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicated a reduction of caveolin- 1 expression in NSCLC and suggested that caveolin-1 as well as VEGF-C might be involved in lymph node metastasis of NSCLC. The role of caveolin-1 in lymphatic metastasis and intratumoral lymphangiogenesis in NSCLC needs further study. Free full text available at www. tumorionline.it
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology School of Basic Medicine Science, Wuhan University, China.
authors.forename: Minhua
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Honglei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Luming
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Diao
authors.forename: Yuxia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Cong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000378:metabolism*; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D051242:Caveolin 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D042583:Lymphangiogenesis; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D040081:Protein Array Analysis; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; C495540:CAV1 protein, human; D051242:Caveolin 1; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C; C500987:monoclonal antibody D2-40