VEGF-C的表达与食管鳞癌淋巴转移及预后的关系

目的 研究血管内皮生长因子C（VEGF-C）在食管鳞癌中的表达及其与肿瘤淋巴转移和预后的关系。方法 运用免疫组化方法检测VEGF-C在72例食管鳞癌组织及其相应正常食管粘膜组织中的表达，经计算机图像分析，计算免疫组化阳性细胞百分率。结果 正常食管粘膜中未见VEGF-C抗原的表达，而在72例食管鳞癌组织中有28例阳性表达（38．9％）。VEGF-C抗原表达与肿瘤的浸润深度和淋巴结转移密切相关（X^2=10．77，P〈0．01；x^2=10．98，P〈0．01），但与患者的年龄、肿瘤的大小及分化程度无关。VEGF-C阳性组患者的生存率显著低于VEGF-C阴性组（x^2=11．16，P〈0．01）。结论 VEGF-C的表达可促进食管鳞癌的淋巴转移。VEGF-C抗原可作为判断食管鳞癌不良预后的危险因子。

VEGF-C expression correlates with lymphatic metastasis and prognosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

[Objective] To investigate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), and the relationship between its expression and the lymphatic metastasis and prognosis. [Methods] Immunohistochemical method was used to examine the expression of VEGF-C in 72cases of the ESCC and adjacent normal esophageal mucosa, and the percentage of the cells positively stained with VEGF-C antibody was calculated with a computer-aided microscopic image analysis system. [Results] VEGF-C antigen was not expressed in normal esophageal mucosa but detected in 28 of 72 (38.9%) neoplastic esophageal lesions. The expression of VEGF-C antigen was significantly associated with the depth of tumor invasion (χ2=10.77, P ＜0.01) and lymph node metastasis(χ2=10.98, P ＜0.01), but not with the patients' age, tumor size or differentiation (P ＞0.05). The overall survival rate of the patients with positive VEGF-C expression was significantly lower than that of the patients without VEGF-C expression (χ2=11.16, P ＜0.01). [Conclusion] The expression of VEGF-C in ESCC can promote tumor lymphatic metastasis, and it may serve as a risk factor indicating a poor prognosis of ESCC.