title: Intratumoral lymphangiogenesis and prognostic significance of VEGFC expression in gastric cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGFC) is thought to promote lymphangiogenesis in various human cancer tissues.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study analyzed data from 72 patients with gastric cancer. The lymphatic vessel density (LVD) was determined by immunohistochemical staining using a monoclonal antibody (mAb) against D2-40, and the expression of VEGFC was investigated using a mAb against VEGFC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The intratumoral LVD was higher in cases with nodal metastasis. The VEGFC-positive cases had a higher intratumoral LVD and were more invasive to the lymphatic vessels or lymph nodes than negative cases. Patients with VEGFC-positive cancer had significantly lower survival than those with negative cancer (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The expression of VEGFC was related to intratumoral lymph angiogenesis and serves as a pertinent predictive factor for lymphatic invasion or metastasis, while also providing prognostic value.
authors: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors: Keisuke
authors: K
authors: Ikeda
authors: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan okieiji@surg2.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp.
authors: Eiji
authors: E
authors: Oki
authors: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Saeki
authors: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors: Koji
authors: K
authors: Ando
authors: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors: Masaru
authors: M
authors: Morita
authors: Department of Anatomic Pathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors: Yoshinao
authors: Y
authors: Oda
authors: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors: Masakazu
authors: M
authors: Imamura
authors: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors: Yoshihiro
authors: Y
authors: Kakeji
authors: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors: Yoshihiko
authors: Y
authors: Maehara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D042583:Lymphangiogenesis; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C467486:VEGFC protein, human; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C
keywords: VEGFC; gastric cancer; lymph node metastasis; lymphangiogenesis; lymphatic vessel density