VEGF-C在舌鳞癌中的表达及其意义

目的：探讨具有促进淋巴管内皮细胞增殖与毛细淋巴管增生的VEGF—C在舌癌病变中的表达及与临床相关因素和淋巴道转移的关系。方法：采用免疫组化方法及图像分析，检测80例舌鳞癌中VEGF—C的表达，并分析表达水平与肿瘤病理分级、临床分期、颈淋巴转移、预后之间的关系。结果：舌鳞癌组织VEGF—C表达明显高于正常舌黏膜及良性肿瘤；其表达强度与病理分级、淋巴结转移密切相关，与患者的预后有关，但与临床分期无关。结论：肿瘤VEGF—C诱导癌周淋巴管增生是发生区域淋巴结转移的重要因素之一，检测VEGF—C可作为淋巴道转移及判断预后的指标之一。

The Expression of VEGF-C in Tongue Squamous Cell Cancer

Objective Vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)-C was demonstrated to stimulate the growth of lym-phatic vascular endothelium.Expression of VEGF-C occurs in a variety of human tumors such as breast,colon,etc.There was no report about the expression of VEGF-C in human tongue squamous cell carcinomas.The goal of the present study was to investigate the possible role of VEGF-C and its receptor VEGFR-3activation in tongue cancer progres-sion.Methods We investigated the expression of VEGF-C in80tongue cancers by immunohistochemistry,and ana-lyzed its relationship with the regional lymphatic metastasis.Results Immunostaining of VEGF-C was observed in nor-mal,benign and malignant epithelium of tongue.VEGF-C protein expression was significantly higher in squamous carci-noma tissue than in normal tissue and benign lesions(P<0.05).Good correlations of VEGF-C expression in squamous car-cinomas were noted with pathological grades(P<0.05),but not with clinical grades(P>0.05).VEGF-C protein expression was significantly higher in tumors exhibiting cervical lymph node metastasis(P<0.05).Multivariate analysis revealed VEGF-C expression to be the sole independent factor influencing cervical lymph node metastasis.Subjects demonstrating VEGF-C expression displayed significantly poorer prognosis than those lacking VEGF-C expression(P<0.05).Conclusion These findings provide evidence supporting the involvement of VEGF-C expression in the promotion of lymph node metas-tasis in tongue squamous cell carcinomas.Furthermore,examination of VEGF-C expression in biopsy specimens may be beneficial in the prediction of cervical lymph node metastasis and prognosis of tongue cancer.