血管内皮生长因子在肝细胞癌血清中的表达意义

目的研究血管内皮生长因子(vascularendothelialgrowthfactor,VEGF)在肝细胞癌(HCC)患者周围血血清中的表达水平与肝癌临床病理特征及肝癌转移复发之间的关系.方法运用sandwich酶联免疫吸附测定法定量检测115例HCC、40例肝脏良性疾病患者和30例健康人血清中VEGF的含量.结果HCC组血清VEGF表达水平[(465.62±336.24)pg/ml]与肝脏良性疾病组[(159.54±120.58)pg/ml]、与健康人组[(123.53±51.84)pg/ml]比较,差异均有显著性(P值均=0.0001);VEGF表达阳性率分别为77.4%、25.0%和3.3%.HCC转移组患者血清VEGF表达水平与未转移组相比,差异有显著性(P=0.001).血清VEGF表达水平还与HCC合并门静脉瘤栓、肿瘤大小和TNM分期密切相关,VEGF含量随TNM分期升高而逐步升高.结论疗前HCC患者的血清VEGF表达水平,是反映HCC侵袭生长及转移潜能的有效生物学指标.

Significance of vascular endothelial growth factor expression in serum of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

OBJECTIVE: This study was to determine the pretherapeutic serum level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to elucidate the relation of its level with clinical characteristics and metastasis of HCC. METHODS: 115 HCC patients, 40 patients with benign liver lesions and 30 healthy control subjects were included in this study. Serum VEGF level was measured with the quantitative sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA, R&D systems). RESULTS: Serum VEGF level in HCC [mean +/- s, (465.62 +/- 336.24) pg/ml] was significantly elevated as compared to those in patients with benign liver lesions[(159.54 +/- 120.58) pg/ml] and those of the normal controls [(123.53 +/- 51.84) pg/ml] though the mean VEGF level of benign liver lesions and normal controls were not significantly different. Serum VEGF concentration showed a positive rate of 77.4%, 25%, 3.3% respectively in HCC, benign liver lesions and normal controls. Of 115 HCC patients, serum VEGF level in patients with portal vein(PV) emboli [n = 26, mean, (582.76 +/- 441.89) pg/ml], with metastasis [n = 43, (548.29 +/- 438.57) pg/ml] or with large HCC lesions (> 5 cm in diameter) [n = 69, (554.43 +/- 369.99) pg/ml] were significantly higher than those without PV-emboli [n = 89, (431.39 +/- 292.84) pg/ml], without metastasis [n = 72, (416.24 +/- 247.27) pg/ml] or with small HCC lesions [n = 42, (328.67 +/- 227.47) pg/ml]. Serum VEGF levels in stage I, II, III, IV a and IV b HCC patients were 340.6 pg/ml, (451.55 +/- 307.84) pg/ml, (397.44 +/- 257.18) pg/ml, (486.10 +/- 397.73) pg/ml, (647.93 +/- 344.56) pg/ml, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The pretherapeutic serum VEGF level of HCC appears to reflect its potential activity of vascular invasion and metastasis.