Expressions of VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 in non-small cell lung cancer and the relationship with lymph node metastasis

Objective To study the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) and VEGF receptor-3 (VEGFR-3) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and to explore its relationship with lymph node metastasis. Methods Sixty patients with NSCLC were studied. The expression of VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 was detected by immunohistochemistry in lung cancer samples, and its relationship to clinical and pathological data was analyzed. Results The positive expression rate of VEGF-C in NSCLC tissues was 68.3% (41/60), the expression rate of VEGFR-3 was 53.3% (32/60). The expression of VEGF-C was related with the degree of cell differentiation in lung cancer. Both the expressions of VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 were positively associated with lymph node metastasis. There was a positive correlation between VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 expressions (r=0.27). Conclusion The expressions of VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 are related to lymph node metastasis in NSCLC. VEGF-C may promote intratumoral lymphangiogenesis via VEGFR-3 and lymphatic metastasis. Key words: Carcinoma,non-small-cell lung Vascular endothelial growth factors; Neoplasm metastasis