Clinical value of the VEGF-C and VEGF-R3 in peripheral blood of patients with lung cancer

Abstract

Objective To investigate the relationship between the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3 (VEGF-R3) in peripheral blood of patients with lung cancer and the pathological characteristics, and to assess the ability to evaluate lymphatic and distant metastasis of the two marks. Methods VEGF-C and VEGF-R3 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 124 patients with lung cancer and 30 normal controls, and used to analyze the relationship with the pathological characteristics of lung cancer. Results The serum levels [M(QR)] of VEGF-C and VEGF-R3 in patients with lung cancer were 283.57 (120.70) pg/ml and 62.72 (43.02) ng/ml, significantly higher than the control whose VEGF-C and VEGF-R3 were 234.62 (129.20) ng/ml and 43.08 (17.07) pg/ml, respectively (Z=-2.840, P=0.005; Z=-3.834, P<0.001). No correlation was found between the expression of VEGF-C and age, sex, primary tumor site, T stage (Z=-0.949, P=0.343; Z=-0.454, P=0.649; Z=-1.168, P=0.243; Z=-1.694, P=0. 090). But the expression of VEGF-C was significantly related with pathologic type, N stage and M stage (χ2=8.829, P=0.012; χ2=27.148, P<0.001; Z=-2.221, P=0.026). However, the expression of VEGF-R3 was not correlated with age, sex, the site of the primary lesion, pathological type and T, N, M stage (Z=-0.558, P=0.577; Z=-0.599, P=0.549; Z=-0.703, P=0.482; χ2=1.166, P=0.558; Z=-0.680, P=0.496; χ2=0.353, P=0.950; Z=-1.523, P=0.128). Conclusion The expressions of VEGF-C and VEGF-R3 in patients with lung cancer are higher than those in normal control, and the expression of VEGF-C is related with patho-logic type, N stage and M stage. The detection of VEGF-C in peripheral blood of lung cancer is expected to be an assistant marker for the evaluation of lymph node metastasis and blood metastasis, but VEGF-R3 does not show its value. Key words: Lung neoplasms; Vascular endothelial growth factor C; Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3; Neoplasm metastasis