title: Expression and significance of vascular endothelial growth factor C from multiple specimen sources in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a common malignancy with a very poor prognosis. Vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) plays an important role in angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis. This study was designed to analyze the correlation of VEGF-C expression with clinicopathological features and survival in multiple specimen sources from patients with ESCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of VEGF-C in tissues (tVEGF-C), serum (sVEGF-C), and lymph fluid (lVEGF-C) from 48 patients with ESCC was detected by different methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significant correlations between a high level of tVEGF-C expression and tumor differentiation, tumor depth, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage and metastasis. sVEGF-C was only significantly related to lymph node metastasis, TNM stage and metastasis. The results of lVEGF-C expression were similar to those of tVEGG-C expression, but no relationship to tumor depth was found. High expression levels of tVEGF-C, sVEGF-C and lVEGF-C were significantly associated with shorter overall survival times in univariate analysis (log-rank test).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The expression of VEGF-C in multiple specimen sources from patients with ESCC was associated with certain clinicopathological parameters. High expression of VEGF-C may be an important factor related to a poor prognosis of ESCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital, Medical School, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi Province, China. zw0009@126.com
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Mingxin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Zhuoqi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D000077277:Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C