[Relationship between vascular endothelial growth factor C expression level and lymph node metastasis in non small...

To investigate the relationship between vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) expression level and lymph node metastasis in non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Fifty-two NSCLC patients, 38 males and 14 females, aged (59+/-11) (29-77), were divided into 2 groups based on the pathological examination: lymph node metastasis positive group (n=25) and lymph node metastasis negative group (n=27). RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression of VEGF-C in the tumor tissues and lymph nodes resected during operation.

The VEGF-C mRNA expression level in the lung tumor tissue of the lymph node metastasis positive group was 0.273+/-0.179, significantly higher than that in the lymph node metastasis negative group (0.089+/-0.087, P<0.01). The VEGF-C mRNA expression level in the positive lymph node of the lymph node metastasis positive group was 0.207+/-0.174, significantly higher than that in the lymph node metastasis negative group (0.114+/-0.107, P<0.01), but not significantly different from that in the negative lymph nodes of the same group(0.196+/-0.186, P>0.05). The VEGF-C protein positive rate of the lung cancer tissues of the lymph node metastasis positive group was 93.3% (14/15), significantly higher than that of the lymph node metastasis negative group (6.7%, 1/15, P<0.01). The VEGF-C protein positive rate of the metastasis positive lymph noses was 80.4% (37/46), and all 52 metastasis negative lymph nodes were VEGF-C protein negative.

VEGF-C mRNA and protein expression levels predict lymph node metastasis and can be useful predictors of lymph node metastasis in NSCLC.