Clinicopathological significance of vascular endothelial growth factor C and its receptors in cervical carcinoma

Background and purpose:Vascular endothelial growth factor-C(VEGF-C) is ranked first as a lymphoangiogenic factor, which induces lymphatic proliferation and spread of solid tumors. Lymph node status remains the strongest prognostic factor in a variety of human malignant tumors including uterine cervical carcinomas and lymphnode metastasis is stimulated by tumor cell aggressiveness, such as abilities of growth and metastases.We examined the correlation between VEGF-C expression and tumor aggressiveness in cervical carcinomas with respect to clinicopathologic features and patient outcome and to see whether the expression of VEGF-C and its receptor in cervical carcinoma tissue and their paratumour tissue had a role in tumor metastasis and other clinical significance. Methods:48 fresh cervical cancer tissues and their paratumour tissue were examined by RT-PCR to detect the VEGF-C/KDR/Flt-4mRNA expression.Results:There was a significant difference of VEGF-C/KDR/Flt-4mRNA expression between the tumor , paratumour tissue and the normal controls. And there was no significant relationship between VEGF-C mRNA, KDR mRNA or flt-4mRNA expression with the pathological types and clinical stage of invasive carcinoma of cervix. However,expression was significantly associated with the grade of tumor pathology, lymph node metastasis, tumor size and the invasion of deep muscular layer(P0.05).Conclusions:The results suggest that the VEGF-C may play an important role in the lymph node metastasis and it could be a useful biological marker to foresee the lymph node metastasis and prognosis for cervical cancer.