Study on expression of the serum vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) correlates with invasion and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma

Objective This study was to investigate the relationship between the expression of serum vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) and invasion and metastasis of the patients with hepatocellular cacinoma(HCC).Methods The level of serum VEGF was measured with the quantitative sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA kit) in 80 patients with hepatocellular cacinoma(HCC), 68 patients with benign liver lesions and 40 healthy control. Results Serum VEGF level in HCC〔(429.61±212.18)pg/ml〕 was significantly elevated as compared to those in patients with benign liver lesions〔(153.47±89.77)pg/ml〕 and those of the normal controls〔(116.79±56.39)pg/ml〕(P0.01), though the mean VEGF level of benign liver lesions and normal controls were not significantly different. Serum VEGF level in patients with portal vein(PV) emboli, with metastasis or with large HCC lesions were significantly higher than those without PV-emboli, without metastasis or with small HCC lesions(P0.01). Serum VEGF level increased with the TNM stage(P0.01).Conclusion VEGF may play an important role in the invasion and metastasis of HCC. Serum VEGF assay may be used to preoperatively predict invasion and metastasis of HCC.