Changes in serum VEGF-C and VEGF-A levels and VEGF-C expression in tissue in patients with gastric carcinoma

Objective To explore the significance of serum VEGF-A and VEGF-C levels in relation to conventional clinopathological parameters of gastric carcinoma,investigate the relationship between serum VEGF-C level and expression of VEGF-C in carcinoma tissue.Methods 28 patients with gastric carcinoma and 21 healthy controls were included in the current study.Serum VEGF-C and VEGF-A levels were assessed by enzymed-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).The expression of VEGF-C protein in gastric carcinoma tissue from 28 patients who underwent curative gastrectomy was examined by immunohistochemistry.Results Serum VEGF-C and VEGF-A levels were higher in patients with gastric carcinoma than those in the healthy controls(P0.01,respectively).The serum VEGF-C level showed no differenc in two groups: VEGF-C positive expression group and VEGF-C negative expression group(P0.05).Serum VEGF-A level was correlated with lymph node metastsis(P0.01),distant matastasis(P0.01),TNM stage(P0.01) and depth of invasion(P0.01);Serum VEGF-C level was correlated with lymph node metastasis(P0.05),TNM stage(P0.05) and depth of invasion(P0.05).Conclusion The serum levels of both VEGF-A and VEGF-C have potential usefulness as biologic markers of gastric carcinoma;Preoperative serum VEGF-C and VEGF-A levels are potentively useful as a marker reflecting lymph node status in gastric carcinoma;there is no relationship between serum VEGFC level and expression of VEGF-C in gastric carcinoma.