Influence of Heparanase and VEGF-C mRNA Expressions in Lung Cancer

The objective of this study is to investigate relationship between the expressions of heparanase and vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) mRNA and tumorigenesis, progression in human lung cancer. The expressions of heparanase and VEGF-C mRNA in 65 cases of lung cancer (31 cases of squamous cell carcinoma, 25 adenocarcinoma, 3 large cell carcinoma, and 6 small cell carcinoma), adjacent tissues of cancer, and normal tissues were tested by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and analyzed by clinico-pathological characteristics and prognosis of lung cancer. The rate of expressions of heparanase and VEGF-C mRNA in tumor tissues (55.4, 61.5 %) was significantly higher than that in adjacent tissues of cancer (12.3, 15.4 %) and normal tissues (3.1, 4.6 %) (P < 0.05). It was shown that heparanase and VEGF-C mRNA expressions did not correlate with the pathological type and grade of the tumor (P > 0.05), but they correlated with the clinical stage and survival time of the patients (P < 0.05). Overexpression of heparanase and VEGF-C mRNA in lung cancer tissues perhaps participates in regulation of tumorigenesis and progression. The expressions of heparanase and VEGF-C mRNA should be used as a useful marker of the biological behavior of lung cancer and as an independent prognosis factor for the patient's survival.