title: Levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and matrix metalloproteinase-9 proteins in patients with glioma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) proteins in patients with glioma, in order to determine if either protein has prognostic value.
  
  
  METHODS
  The presence of VEGF and MMP-9 proteins in paraffin-embedded tumour specimens from patients with glioma was detected using immunohistochemistry. The correlation between the levels of VEGF and MMP-9 proteins and tumour grade was analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 32 patients with low-grade gliomas (World Health Organization [WHO] grade II) and 48 patients with high-grade gliomas (WHO grades III-IV) participated in the study. Positive immunohistochemical staining of VEGF and MMP-9 proteins was detected in 58/80 (72.5%) and 60/80 (75.0%) of patients, respectively. The level of VEGF immunostaining was significantly positively correlated with the level of MMP-9 immunostaining (r = 0.78). Significantly more high-grade gliomas (grades III-IV) demonstrated positive VEGF and MMP-9 immunostaining compared with the low grade gliomas (grades I-II).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that VEGF and MMP-9 play an important role in the malignant behaviour of gliomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China.
authors.forename: Chengyuan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xianfeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Haiyang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9
keywords: Glioma; MMP-9; VEGF; immunohistochemistry; matrix metalloproteinase-9; vascular endothelial growth factor