Expression clinical significance of nm23-H_1 and vessel endothelium growth factor protein in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Objective To study the prognostic predictor for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods The expressions of nm23-H_1 and vessel endothelium growth factor (VEGF) protein were examined by immunohistochemistory S-P staining in 108 NPC tissues, the expression of nm23-H_1 and VEGF protein in NPC tissues with clinical stage of NPC, radiosensitivity of tumor, survival rate of patients, relapse and metastasis of carcinoma were studied. Results The positive rate of nm23-H_1 and VEGF was 48.1% and 59.3% respectively. The clinical staging, metastatic potential of lymph nodes were correlated with low-level expression of nm23-H_1 protein. The patients with negative nm23-H_1 expression had worse prognosis than those with positive nm23-H_1 expression. The clinical staging, metastatic potential and poor sensitivity of radiotherapy were correlated with high level expression of VEGF protein. The patients with positive VEGF expressin had worse prognosis than those with negnative VEGF expression. The expression of nm23-H_1 protein was negatively correlated with the expression of VEGF protein (r=-0.577, P0.05). Conclusions The low level expression of nm23-H_1 protein and the high level expression of VEGF protein may be associated with the development and poor prognosis of NPC.