title: Expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) in Patients With Serous Ovarian Carcinoma and Their Clinical Significance.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has an essential role in tumor metastasis by inducing the construction of abnormal blood vessels. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is involved in different parts of cancer growth such as tumor initiation, angiogenesis and metastasis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of VEGF and EGFR in ovarian cancer in southern Iran and to assess the correlation between expression of these two markers and patients' age, tumor stage, and grade.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study, 50 paraffin blocks of serous ovarian adenocarcinomas and 50 paraffin-embedded specimens from control individuals operated for reasons other than malignancy were immunohistochemically stained using anti-human VEGF and EGFR antibodies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant difference in the frequency of positive expression of VEGF was observed in ovarian cancer patients (25.0%) compared with the control group (8.0%) (P = 0.023). A significant difference between EGFR expression in patients (56.8%) and controls (24.0%) was also obtained (P = 0.001). No significant correlation between VEGF and EGFR expression and patients' age, tumor grade and stage were detected (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The significant increase in both VEGF and EGFR in the patients with ovarian cancer compared to healthy individuals could have prognostic value. Identifying these markers may be useful for chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic strategies for patients with serous ovarian cancer.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ranjbar
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran ; Shiraz HIV/AIDS Research Center, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Foroogh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nejatollahi
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Ahmad Sina
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Nedaei Ahmadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hafezi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Akbar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Safaie
keywords: Angiogenic Factor; Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor; Ovarian Cancer; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A