Homer Jarrod J, Prentice Michael G, Cawkwell Lynn, Birchall Martin, Greenman John, Stafford Nicholas D
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Hull Royal Infirmary, Hull, England.
Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2003 Oct;129(10):1110-4. doi: 10.1001/archotol.129.10.1110.
Angiogenesis is essential for tumor growth and invasion. Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) is a prime mediator of tumor angiogenesis; VEGF-C, another member of the closely related VEGF family of proteins, has major effects on lymphatic endothelial cells and may be important in the process of lymphatic metastasis.
To evaluate the expression of these cytokines in hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and to ascertain the effects of these proteins on lymphatic metastasis and vascular angiogenesis.
Retrospective analysis of microvessel density and the expression of VEGF-A and VEGF-C.
An academic referral center. Subjects Thirty-four patients with stage T2 to T4 squamous cell carcinoma of the piriform fossa.
Expression of VEGF-A and VEGF-C was determined by immunohistochemistry on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded biopsy specimens. Angiogenesis was measured as microvessel density by staining endothelial cells for platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1/CD31.
Of the 34 tumors, 21 had clinicoradiologic evidence of lymphatic metastasis. Expression of VEGF-C was associated with lymphatic metastasis (P<.001), but not with microvessel density. The VEGF-A expression correlated with microvessel density (P<.001), but neither VEGF-A expression nor microvessel density was associated with lymphatic metastasis.
The expression of VEGF-C is associated with lymphatic metastasis in squamous cell carcinoma of the piriform fossa. This is not secondary to effects on vascular angiogenesis and is hypothesized to be due to effects on lymphatic endothelial cells.
血管生成对于肿瘤的生长和侵袭至关重要。血管内皮生长因子A（VEGF-A）是肿瘤血管生成的主要介质；VEGF-C是密切相关的VEGF蛋白家族的另一个成员，对淋巴管内皮细胞有主要作用，可能在淋巴转移过程中起重要作用。
评估这些细胞因子在下咽鳞状细胞癌中的表达，并确定这些蛋白对淋巴转移和血管生成的影响。
对微血管密度以及VEGF-A和VEGF-C的表达进行回顾性分析。
一个学术转诊中心。研究对象为34例梨状窝T2至T4期鳞状细胞癌患者。
通过免疫组织化学法在福尔马林固定、石蜡包埋的活检标本上测定VEGF-A和VEGF-C的表达。通过对内皮细胞进行血小板内皮细胞黏附分子1/CD31染色，以微血管密度来衡量血管生成情况。
在34例肿瘤中，21例有临床放射学证据表明存在淋巴转移。VEGF-C的表达与淋巴转移相关（P<0.001），但与微血管密度无关。VEGF-A的表达与微血管密度相关（P<0.001），但VEGF-A的表达和微血管密度均与淋巴转移无关。
VEGF-C的表达与梨状窝鳞状细胞癌的淋巴转移相关。这并非继发于对血管生成的影响，推测是由于对淋巴管内皮细胞的作用所致。
