Relationship between VEGF-C and lymphangiogenesis and lymph node metastasis in renal cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVE:To explore the relationship between VEGF-C and lymphangiogenesis and lymphnode metastasis in renal cell carcinoma(RCC) with the use of podoplanin,a specific lymphaticvessel endothelium marker to detect lymphatic vessel.METHODS: The expressions of VEGF-C and podoplanin were detected in 45 paraffin sections of RCC and 10 cases of normal renal tissues as control by immunohistochemistry(SP).Assessments of podoplanin+ lymphatic vessel density(LVD) and positive rates of VEGF-C were performed and their relationship was analysed.RESULTS: The positive rate of VEGF-C in the normal renal tissue group(10.0 %) was significantly lower than that in the RCC group(71.1 %,P0.01).The positive rate of VEGF-C in the positive lymphnode group was significantly higher than that in the negative lymphnode metastasis group(81.3% vs 65.5%,P0.05) and there was no difference between the well differentiated group and the poor differentiated group(70.6% vs 72.7%,P0.05).LVD in the normal renal tissue group(1.2±0.3) was significantly lower than that in the RCC group(6.8±1.3,P0.01).LVD in the positive VEGF-C group was significantly higher than that in the negative VEGF-C group(7.6±1.5 vs 4.7±0.9,P0.05) and compared with the negative lymph node metastasis group(5.1±1.1),LVD(8.3±1.4) in the positive lymph node metastasis group increased significantly(P0.05).CONCLUSION: Lymphangiogenesis is a significant factor for tumor lymphatic metastasis,and VEGF-C may mediate lymphatic metastasis of RCC by the way of inducing lymphangiogenesis.