[Relationship between serum VEGF level and VEGF, COX-2 and MVD expression in breast cancer tissues]

To investigate the relationship between serum VEGF (sVEGF) level and VEGF, COX-2 and MVD expression in breast cancer, and to discuss their role in angiogensis of breast cancer.

sVEGF level was detected by ELISA in 68 preoperative breast cancer, 35 benign breast disease and 20 healthy women. The expression of VEGF, COX-2 and MVD was detected by immunohistochemical method in tissues of breast cancer and breast benign diseases, and to analyze the relationship of sVEGF, VEGF, COX-2 and MVD.

(1) sVEGF level in preoperative breast cancers was 306.51 pg/ml (interquartile range from 190.44 to 442.04 pg/ml), in benign diseases was 150.82 pg/ml (interquartile range from 82.36 to 212.34 pg/ml), and in healthy control was 105.93 pg/ml (interquartile range from 78.54 to 157.77 pg/ml). The sVEGF level of preoperative breast cancer group was significantly higher than that of breast benign disease group and healthy women (P = 0.001). (2) The VEGF expression positive rate in breast cancer (67.65%) was significantly higher than that in breast benign disease (44.12%) (P = 0.015). The COX-2 expression positive rate in breast cancer (42.86%) was significantly higher than that in breast benign disease (11.43%) (P = 0.002). (3) the COX-2 expression positive rate in sVEGF high level patients (56.00%) was significantly higher than that in sVEGF normal level patients (11.11%) (P = 0.024), and MVD in sVEGF high level patients (27.32 +/- 3.40) was also higher than that in sVEGF normal level patients (15.31 +/- 6.16) (P = 0.011). (4) The sVEGF level (322.09 +/- 79.31) of 68 breast cancer patients whose VEGF was positive in breast cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in VEGF negative group (222.47 +/- 73.53) (P = 0.017). (5) The COX-2 expression positive rate in VEGF positive expression group (65.21%) was significantly higher than that in VEGF negative expression group (18.18%) (P = 0.017). The MVD expression in COX-2 positive expression group (22.94 +/- 5.51) was significantly higher than that in COX-2 negative expression group (10.30 +/- 4.42) (P = 0.027).

sVEGF level in breast cancer is significantly higher than that in breast benign disease and healthy women, and is correlated with the expression of COX-2 and MVD in breast cancer tissues.