Proximal compared with middle and distal gastric carcinoma: Expression of VEGF and VEGF-C

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the difference between the proximal, middle and distal third gastric carcinoma in the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C). MATERIALS: This experiment was carried out at Medical Imaging Centre of the Affiliated Hospital, Weifang Medical University from February 2002 to September 2008. Eighty-one patients with histopathology proved advanced gastric carcinoma (seventy-two cases adenocarcinoma, five cases signet-ring cell carcinoma, three cases mucinous adenocarcinoma, and one case carcinoid) were included. METHODS: PV-9000 immunohistochemical staining was used to investigate the expression of VEGF and VEGF-C in all the specimens. The antibody against factor VIII-related antigen was used to display vascular endothelial cells, and MVD was examined by counting the factor VIII-positive vascular endothelial cells. RESULTS: The positive rates of VEGF and VEGF-C expression in 81 cases were 74.1% (60/81) and 64.2% (52/81) respectively, and the MVD averaged 60.86±23.48. The positive rates of VEGF and VEGF-C expression in the PGC were 78.6% (33/42) and 69.0% (29/42) respectively, and the MVD averaged 60.45±23.45. The positive rates of VEGF and VEGF-C expression in the MGC/DGC were 69.2% (27/39) and 59.0% (23/39) respectively, and the MVD averaged 62.23±23.48. The TNM staging difference was significantly between the PGC and the MGC/DGC (P<0.05). Histologic differentiated had no difference between the PGC and the MGC/DGC (P>0.05). The gastric bare area (GBA) involved was common in the PGC than the MGC/DGC (P<0.05). The averaged MVD, the expression of VEGF and VEGF-C had no difference between the PGC and the MGC/DGC (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The prognostic difference of PGC, MGC and DGC may be not related to the different expression of the MVD, VEGF, VEGF-C.