title: Elevated VEGF concentrations in ascites and serum predict adverse prognosis in ovarian cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate if serum and ascites VEGF-C concentration could be used as prognostic markers in ovarian cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum and ascites VEGF-C were measured in 118 patients with ovarian cancer and 24 patients with benign gynaecological disease. ELISA method was employed to evaluate VEGF-C concentration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum and ascites in ovarian cancer patients were higher than those in benign gynaecological disease (P < 0.0001). Serum VEGF-C and ascites VEGF-C were both correlated with FIGO stage, tumor grade, and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). Univariate analysis revealed that FIGO stage (P < 0.0001), tumor grade (P < 0.0001), lymph node metastasis (P < 0.0001), serum VEGF-C concentration (P = 0.0001), and ascites VEGF-C concentration (P < 0.0001) were significantly correlated with overall survival. Including these variables in a multivariate analysis revealed that VEGF-C concentrations in serum and ascites were independent predictors of shorter overall survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevated VEGF-C concentrations in serum and ascites can be seen as the novel, widely available independent predictors of shorter overall survival in ovarian cancer.
authors.affiliation: a High Vocational Technological College, China Medical University , Shenyang.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: a High Vocational Technological College, China Medical University , Shenyang.
authors.forename: Zhengdong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: b Department of Clinical Laboratory , No. 202 Hospital, Shenyang.
authors.forename: Yunhui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: c Department of Gynecology, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University , Shenyang, China.
authors.forename: Chuan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001201:Ascites / Q000378:metabolism; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C467486:VEGFC protein, human; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C
keywords: Biomarker; lymphangiogenesis; metastasis; tumor; vascular endothelial growth factor