血管内皮生长因子在鼻咽癌组织中的表达及其与淋巴转移的关系

目的 检测鼻咽癌中血管内皮生成因子C(VEGF-C)的表达及微淋巴管密度(microlymphatic vessel density,MLVD),探讨鼻咽癌淋巴管生成及淋巴转移之间的关系.方法 采用免疫组化SP法检测58例鼻咽癌和20例鼻咽部炎性反应组织中VEGF-C的表达情况,并用淋巴管内皮细胞特异性抗体LYVE-1行免疫组化染色,计数肿瘤内MLVD,并结合临床病理特征进行分析.结果 鼻咽癌组和炎性反应对照组VEGF-C的阳性表达率分别为84.5%(49/58)和15.0%(3/20),差异有统计学意义(X2=32.309,P＜0.01).鼻咽癌组织MLVD为(28.6±6.2)个/视野,鼻咽炎性反应组为(10.5 4±3.0)个/视野,两组差异有统计学意义(t=12.491,P＜0.01).鼻咽癌组织中,有淋巴转移组VEGF-C阳性表达率(87.8%)明显高于无淋巴转移组(76.5%);有淋巴转移组MLVD(30.2 4±6.4)个/视野高于无淋巴转移组(24.8±3.6)个/视野,经统计学分析,差异均有统计学意义(t=3.259,P＜0.01).VEGF-C的表达与MLVD(t=3.512,P＜0.01)、淋巴转移(X2=7.715,P＜0.01)、临床分期(X2=4.250,P＜0.05),与病理分化程度无关(X2=0.000,P＞0.05).VEGF-C的表达与MLVD(t=3.512,P＜0.01)、淋巴转移(X2=7.715,P＜0.01,r=0.712)、临床分期(X2=4.250,P＜0.05,r=0.481)相关,与病理分化程度无关(X2=0.000,P＞0.05).结论 在鼻咽癌组织中VEGF-C呈高表达,VEGF-C表达与鼻咽癌组织MLVD、淋巴转移、临床分期密切相关.VEGF-C可能参与了鼻咽癌发生、浸润和转移的过程.VEGF-C与肿瘤组织微淋巴管密切相关,在鼻咽癌发展过程中起重要作用,可能成为抗肿瘤治疗的潜在靶点.

Correlation between the vascular endothelial growth factor C expression and lymph node metastasis in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma

OBJECTIVE: To detect the expression of vessel endothelial growth factorc (VEGF-C) and microlymphatic vessel density (MLVD) and probe the relationship between lymphangiogenesis and lymph node micrometastasis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. METHODS: The expression of VEGF-C, was evaluated in 58 cases with nasopharyngeal carcinoma and 20 samples of nasopharyngitis tissues by immunohistochemical staining SP methods. The MLVD in tumor was counted by immunostaining with the specific antibody lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronic acid receptor 1 and analyzed with clinicopathologic parameters. RESULTS: The positive rate of VEGF-C was 84.5% and 15.0% respectively in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and nasopharyngitis tissues, there was significant difference between them (chi2 = 32.309, P <0.01). The microlymphatic vessel density was (28.6 +/- 6.2) pieces per field and (10.5 +/- 3.0) pieces per field respectively in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and nasopharyngitis tissues, there was significant difference between them (t = 12.491, P <0.01). The expression of VEGF-C and the MLVD were significantly higher in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and in lymph node mesastasis group than in no-metastasis group. The expression of VEGF-C was positively correlated with MLVD (t =3.512, P <0.01), lymph node metastasis (chi2 =7.715, P <0.01, r =0.712) and clinical stage (chi2 =4.250, P <0.05, r =0.481). CONCLUSIONS: In nasopharyngeal carcinoma, the expression rate of VEGF-C was high. VEGF-C expression was positively correlated with MLVD and lymph node metastasis and tumor staging. It was explained that VEGF-C attached itself to the emergence and infiltration and transfer of NPC. There was close correlation between the expression of VEGF-C and MLVD. It was explained that the expression of VEGF-C in NPC was correlated to neoplasm lymphangiogenesis and that VEGF-C played a vital role in the progression of NPC. VEGF-C was likely to a potential target of anticarcer therapy.