title: Expression and clinical significance of STAT3, P-STAT3, and VEGF-C in small cell lung cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine STAT3, P-STAT3, and VEGF-C expression levels in small cell lung cancers (SCLCs), and discuss their role and clinical significance in SCLC development.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemical methods were applied to 128 cases of SCLC and 40 cases of adjacent normal tissue.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression levels of STAT3, P-STAT3, and VEGF-C were higher in SCLC than in normal tissue (P<0.05). Pairwise comparisons showed positive correlations with lymph node metastasis, clinical stage, and tumor size (P<0.05). The expression levels were also related with the overall survival rates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  STAT3 and VEGF-C play important roles in the development of SCLC, and might be expected to become new targets for SCLC treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Physicians, the Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Xian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Xiao-li
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010766:Phosphorylation; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D055752:Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494086:STAT3 protein, human; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C