Density of lymphatic vessels and its clinical significance in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Objective To study the relationship between the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3(VEGFR-3) and lymphangiogenesis in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC).Methods VEGFR-3 expression in ESCC tissues from 59 cases was detected by the immunohistochemical SP method and the image analysis system.The relationship between VEGFR-3 and lymphangiogenesis was analyzed by calculating the number of lymphatic vessel density(LVD).Results There was a statistically positive correlation between VEGFR-3 expression and lymph node metastasis in primary tumors(P0.05).The number and mean optical density(MOD) of VEGFR-3 positive lymphatic vessels in the tumor and peritumoral tissue were also closely related to the lymph node metastasis of ESCC(P0.01).Conclusion There is a close relationship between VEGFR-3 and lymphangiogenesis in ESCC.