Gastric Cancer
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2004. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Feb 1, 2004; 10(3): 352-355
Published online Feb 1, 2004. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v10.i3.352
Expression and significance of VEGF-C and FLT-4 in gastric cancer
Xing-E Liu, Xiao-Dong Sun, Jin-Min Wu
Xing-E Liu, Jin-Min Wu, Center of Oncology, the Affiliated Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Medical College, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, Zhejiang Province, China
Xiao-Dong Sun, Department of General Surgery, the Affiliated Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Medical College, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, Zhejiang Province, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Dr. Xing-E Liu, Center of Oncology, the Affiliated Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Medical College, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, Zhejiang Province, China. xingel001@yahoo.com
Telephone: +86-571-86090073 Fax: +86-571-86044817
Received: August 5, 2003
Revised: August 24, 2004
Accepted: September 1, 2004
Published online: February 1, 2004
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the expression of pathological factors of VEGF-C and its receptor FLT-4 in primary gastric cancer and adjacent normal tissues.

METHODS: The expression of VEGF-C and FLT-4 was studied in 80 primary gastric cancers and adjacent normal tissues from the same patients by semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immumohistochemistry.

RESULTS: Both primary gastric cancer and adjacent normal tissue could express VEGF-C and FLT-4, and FLT-4 expression was also detected in endothelial cells of stromal blood vessels and lymphatic vessels. There was a significant difference in expression of VEGF-C between primary tumor and adjacent normal tissue samples (P = 0.01), and a statistical correlation between VEGF-C and FLT-4 expression in tumors (P = 0.00886). With regard to VEGF-C expression, there was a significant difference between moderate-poor differential type and high differential type (P = 0.032), and a significant difference between positive and negative lymph node metastases (P = 0.024). However, there was no significant difference between positive and negative serosal invasions (P = 0.219).

CONCLUSION: VEGF-C and its receptor FLT-4 play a role in the development of gastric cancer, and the tumors with expression of VEGF-C and FLT-4 are more likely to have lymph node metastasis.

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