Correlation between vascular endothelial growth factors and their receptor with lymph node metastasis of lung cancer

Objective To investigate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C),VEGF-D and VEGF receptor-3 (VEGFR-3) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and their correlation with lymph node metastasis.Methods By using fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR,the expression of VEGF-C,VEGF-D and VEGFR-3 was detected in 96 patients with NSCLC.Results There was a significant correlation betwwen the positive expression of VEGF-C,VEGF-D and VEGFR-3 and lymph node metastasis and TNM stage (P ＜ 0.05).The expression levels of VEGF-C,VEGF-D and VEGFR-3 mRNA in lung cancer tissues were significantly higher than in normal tissues (P ＜0.01).in NSCLC,there was a positive correlation among VEGF-C,VEGF-D and VEGFR-3 mRNA expression.Conclusion VEGF-C,VEGF-D and VEGF-3 play an important role in the occurrence,development and lymph node metastasis of NSCLC. Key words: Lung cancer;  Vascular endothelial growth factor;  Lymph node;  Metastasis