title: [Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor D in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissue and its significance].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor D (VEGF-D) in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and its significance.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of VEGF-C mRNA in tumor tissues and non-cancer tissues from 39 ESCC patients in our hospital from March 2009 to February 2010 was detected by in situ hybridization (ISH) method. The expression of D2-40 was detected by immunohistochemistry,and microlymphatic vessel density (MLVD) was determined by lymphatic endothelial specific marker D2-40. The associations of VEGF-C mRNA expression with clinical data and MLVD were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Positive ISH VEGF-D mRNA was observed in tumor tissue samples of 22 cases (56.4%, 22/39) and non-cancer tissue sample of 1 case (2.6%, 1/39), whose difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The expression of VEGF-D mRNA in ESCC was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis [92.9% (13/14) vs. 36.0% (9/25), P<0.05] and MLVD [(8.20±1.22) vs. (5.31±0.97), P<0.01], but not significantly associated with age, sex, pathological grade and depth of infiltration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VEGF-D can promote lymphatic metastasis of ESSC by induction of lymphangiogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China. ljj508@21cn.com.
authors.forename: Jian-jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Fo-tian
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Zhong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D000077277:Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D042643:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C579459:VEGFD protein, human; D042643:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D