[Serum level and expression of vascular epithelial growth factor in ovarian epithelial carcinoma]

This study was designed to examine the level of serum vascular epithelial growth factor (VEGF) and VEGF expression in the patients with ovarian epithelial carcinoma (EOC) and to evaluate the relationship between VEGF and the clinicopathological factors.

Seventy-three patients with ovarian epithelial tumor were selected as study group, including 24 benign epithelial ovarian tumor (BET), 7 borderline epithelial ovarian tumor (BOT), 42 EOC. Twenty women without obvious gynecologic diseases were selected as serum control group (CON). VEGF expression in the epithelial ovarian tumor tissues from 73 patients were analyzed immunohistochemically. Serum VEGF in 71 patients and ascite VEGF in 10 patients were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and 7 cases with EOC were continuously determined after operation.

(1) Positive immunostaining of VEGF was observed in 86.3% of EOC, which was significantly higher than that of BOT (66.67%, P < 0.005) and BET (37.5%, P < 0.005). (2) There were significant differences in serum VEGF level among BET, BOT, and EOC group (P < 0.01). Serum VEGF levels before operation in patients with EOC were significantly higher than those with BOT, BET, and CON (P < 0.01). Serum VEGF levels in EOC patients at advanced stage (stage III or IV), low differentiation (G3) were apparently higher than those at early stage (stage I or II) (P < 0.05) and high differentiation (G1, G2) (P < 0.01), respectively. Serum VEGF levels decreased after the successful removal of tumor in ovarian cancer patients. The serum VEGF levels were re-elevated during relapse in three patients.

(1) The elevated serum VEGF levels and increased VEGF expression in EOC were associated with its maligment behavior. (2) Serum VEGF could be used as a marker for monitoring the clinical course of the patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma.