Correlation of the Expression of VEGF and ras-p21 in Thyroid Carcinoma and Lymphatic Metastasis

Objective To study the relationship between the expression of oncogene and VEGF in human thyroid tumors and lymphatic metastasis. Methods 60 cases of thyroid neoplasm including 40 cases of thyroid cancer and 20 cases of thyroid adenoma were studied by immunohistochemical method. Results The positive rate of VEGF and ras-p21 were 72% and 52.5% respectively in thyroid carcinoma. The discrepancy of the expression of VEGF and ras-p21 were very obvious in thyroid carcinoma than those in adenoma (P0.01, 0.05). A correlation between the expression of VEGF and ras-p21 was detected in thyroid carcinoma (P0.05). A significant correlation was found between VEGF and lymph node metastasis in thyroid cancer (P0.05). Ras-p21 was not correlated with lymph node metastasis in thyroid cancer. Conclusion VEGF expression was correlated significantly with the expression of ras-p21 in thyroid cancer and had an important role in the initiation and development of human thyroid cancer.