Objective: To investigate the relationship between clinicopathologic characteristics and expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor-C, D (VEGF-C and VEGF-D) in esophageal squamous cancer.
Methods: The tumor tissues were collected from 62 cases of esophageal squamous carcinoma, and 20 paracancerous tissues were used as control. The expressions of VEGF-C and VEGF-D were detected by immunohistochemical method, and the count of micro lymphatic density(MLD) was measured. We analyzed their relationships with tumor clinicopathologic characteristics.
Results: The expression rate of VEGF-C and VEGF-D in 62 cases of esophageal squamous carcinoma were 74% and 82%. MLD in tumor border tissue was obviously higher than that in the normal paracancerous tissue (5.387 +/- 4.986 vs. 1.900 +/- 2.245) (P < 0.05). The positive lymph node metastasis and advanced clinical stage were more common in the cases with higher expression of VEGF-C and VEGF-D. There were significant associations of high MLD with high expression of VEGF-C and VEGF-D, positive lymphod node status and advanced clinical stages. Expression levels of VEGF-C and VEGF-D correlated significantly with each other (r = 0.691, P < 0.001).
Conclusion: VEGF-C and VEGF-D might promote lymphatic metastasis by inducing lymphangiogenesis especially at the edge of esophageal squamous carcinoma tissue.