VEGF-C及VEGFR-3在非小细胞肺癌中的临床意义

目的研究VEGF-C和VEGFR-3的表达在非小细胞肺癌中的临床意义。方法对78例病理分期为Ⅰ~ⅢA期非小细胞肺癌患者术后组织标本中癌组织、癌旁组织及正常组织共计234份进行半定量PCR研究。同时对VEGF-C和VEGFR-3mRNA的表达与其不同的病理类型、分期、分化程度及其他临床特性进行分析。结果VEGF-C mRNA的表达水平在癌组织及癌旁组织的相对含量明显高于正常组织(P<0.05),VEGFR-3mRNA的表达在癌组织中的相对含量明显高于正常组织(P<0.05)。VEGF-C和VEGFR-3mRNA的表达与临床病理特性相互之间的关系显示,在淋巴结转移组及病理分期组,VEGF-C或VEGFR-3mRNA的表达水平无论是在癌组织中,还是在癌旁组织中均有明显统计学意义(P<0.001)。结论VEGF-C和VEGFR-3mRNA的表达与非小细胞肺癌的淋巴结转移有关,提示VEGF-C和VEGFR-3mRNA的表达的非小细胞肺癌预后不良。

Clinical significance of VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 in non-small cell lung cancer

Objective As the number one overall cause of the cancer-related death,lung cancer,whose most common type is non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC),is the leading public health concern worldwide.The metastatic spread of tumor cells is responsible for the majority of cancer-related deaths.Lymph nodes are the most common sites of metastasis.Vascular endothelial growth factorC has been characterised as a lymphangiogenic growth factor and has been shown to signal through the receptors VEGFR-3(also called VEGFR-3).Experimental studies have revealed that the expression of VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 have close relationship with lymphangiogenesis and lymph node metastasis.So we assessed the expressions of VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 mRNA in NSCLC by RT-PCR to demonstrate how they are correlated with clinicopathological factors,including lymph node metastasis.Methods A total of 78 consecutive patients with pathological stage Ⅰ～ⅢA NSCLC who underwent complete tumor resection without any preoperative therapy at Beijing Chest Hospital between December 2006 to June,2007,and whose 234 histologic specimens are available for PCR were respectively studied.For analyses according to the different pathological types,different stages and differentiation of cancer cells as well as other clinical features.Result The relative contents of VEGF-C mRNA in cancer tissue and in paracancer were higher than those in normal tissues(VEGF-C mRNA 0.302±0.177,0.209±0.131,0.152±0.89)(P<0.05),and the relative content of VEGFR-3 mRNA in cancer tissue was higher than that in normal tissue,(0.278±0.182 vs 0.181±0.128,P<0.05).The relationship between VEGF-C or VEGFR-3 mRNA expression and clinicopathological features are shown that the expression levels of VEGF-C mRNA and VEGFR-3 both in cancer tissue and paracancer tissue have significantly difference in lymph node groups and stage groups,P<0.001.Conclusion The present study gives evidence that VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 might play an important role in lymph node metastasis in NSCLC,and the result also indicates that VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 expressions were related to poor prognosis.