Expression and Clinical Significance of VEGF-C and MMP-9 in Cervical Carcinoma

BACKGROUND AIM: To investigate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-C(VEGF-C) and matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9) in cervical carcinoma and explore the roles in cervical cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression of VEGF-C and MMP-9 in paraffin samples of 45 cases of cervical carcinoma, 20 cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and 20 cases of normal cervical tissue. RESULTS: The expression of VEGF-C was significantly higher in carcinoma than that in normal cervical tissue and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.The expression of MMP-9 became stronger and stronger with the progression of cervical diseases from normal tissue to cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and to invasive carcinoma of cervix uteri.In cases with pelvic lymph node metastasis,FIGO stagingⅡ,neoplasms with deep muscular invasion the rates of overexpression of VEGF-C and MMP-9 were significantly higher than that in those without deep invasion. CONCLUSION: Both VEGF-C and MMP-9 were involved in the pathogenesis of cervical cancer and measurement of VEGF-C and MMP-9 expression may be developed as a means to evaluate the malignant degree and prognosis of cervical cancer.