Intratumoral lymphangiogenesis and prognostic significance of VEGFC expression in gastric cancer

Anticancer Res. 2014 Aug;34(8):3911-5.

Abstract

Aim: Vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGFC) is thought to promote lymphangiogenesis in various human cancer tissues.

Materials and 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).

Conclusion: 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.

Keywords: VEGFC; gastric cancer; lymph node metastasis; lymphangiogenesis; lymphatic vessel density.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lymphangiogenesis*
  • Lymphatic Metastasis
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness
  • Prognosis
  • Stomach Neoplasms / chemistry
  • Stomach Neoplasms / mortality*
  • Stomach Neoplasms / pathology
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / analysis
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / physiology*

Substances

  • VEGFC protein, human
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C