LYVE-1 positive microlymphatic vessel density correlates with lymph metastasis in non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)

Objective:To evaluate the specificity of LYVE-1 as a lymphatic endothelial marker.To investigate the relationship of lymphangiogenesis and the presence of lymph node metastasis.Methods:The expressions of CD34,LYVE-1 were detected in 40 paraffin sections of NSCLC and 8 pulmonary benign disease tissues by immunohistochemistry(SP).LYVE-1 positive and CD34 positive vessel density were counted.Results:There was not a positive correlation between LYVE-1 positive and CD34 positive vessel density(the Spearman rank correlation coefficient r=0.017,P0.05),and none of LYVE-1 positive vessels were blood vessels by observation of light microscope.LYVE-1 positive MLD in NSCLC was significantly higher than that in pulmonary benign disease tissues(P0.05).Compared with the negative lymph node metastasis,positive lymph node metastasis group,LYVE-1 positive MLD in the positive group increased significantly(P0.01).MLD was higher in stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ patients than that in stageⅠ and Ⅱ(P0.01).Conclusion:LYVE-1 is a specific lymphatic endothelial marker.Lymphangiogenesis might play an important role in the lymph node metastasis of NSCLC.