[Relation of vascular endothelial growth factor-D expression to microvessel density, microlymphatic vessel density, and lymph-node metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship of expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-D to microvessel density (MVD), microlymphatic vessel density (MLVD), and lymph node metastasis in lung adenocarcinoma. METHODS: Fresh specimens of lung adenocarcinoma were collected form 48 patients with lung adenocarcinoma, 28 males and 20 females, aged 35 - 78, during operation. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of VEGF-D, and immunohistochemistry was used to detect the protein expression of VEGF-D, CD34 (marker of MVD), and VEGF receptor (VEGFR)-3 (marker of MLV). RESULTS: The expression of VEGF-D mRNA in the lung cancer was significantly higher than that in the normal lung tissue, and the expression of VEGF-D protein in the cancerous invasive edge was significantly higher than that in the center of cancerous tissues. Twenty-one of the 29 lung adenocarcinoma patients at stages III - IV were VEGF-D positive, a proportion significantly higher than that of the patients at stages I - II (7/19, P = 0.015). The MLVD of the VEGF-D positive group was 10.25 +/- 2.50, significantly higher than that of the VEGF-D negative group (6.8 +/- 2.2, P < 0.01). Twenty-three of the 28 VEGF-D positive patients showed lymph node metastasis, a proportion significantly higher than that of the VEGF-D negative group (9/20, P = 0.012). CONCLUSION: VEGF-D is related with the lymphangiogenesis and lymph node metastasis in lung adenocarcinoma, but not with angiogenesis.