The Expression Of VEGF-C And Flt-4 In Thyroid Cancer And Its Clinical Significance

Subject:The objective of this study was to investigate the expression of VEGF-Cand Flt-4 in thyroid cancer and its clinical significance.Methods: Immunohistochemistry was used to examine the expression ofVEGF-C and Flt-4 in specimens of 5 neighboring normal thyroid tissues,20 thyroidadenoma and 48 thyroid cancer .Results: (1) The positive expression of VEGF-C was located in cytoplasm of tumor cellsand cell-membrance, but it was occasionally located in stromal cells; The positiveexpression of Flt-4 was located in the cytoplasm of tumor cells.The positive rates ofVEGF-C and Flt-4 were 70.83%(34/48),62.5%(30/48), respectively.(2)The positive rates of VEGF-C in thyroid adenoma and thyroid cancer were20%(4/20),70.83%(34/48) respectively, they was significant difference(p<0.01) ; Theexpression of VEGF-C in 5 neighboring normal thyroid tissues was negative; thepositive rates of VEGF-C in thyroid adenoma and thyroid cancer were higher thanthose in neighboring normal thyroid tissues (p<0.05). Likely the positive rates of Flt-4in thyroid adenoma and thyroid cancer were 25%(5/20),62.5%(30/48), they wassignificant difference(p<0.01), The expression of Flt-4 in 5 neighboring normalthyroid tissues was negative; The positive rates of VEGF-C in thyroid adenoma andthyroid cancer were higher than those in neighboring normal thyroid tissues (p<0.05).(3) The expression of VEGF-C in thyroid cancer with lymph node metastasiswas 85.71%(24/28) higher than that in thyroid cancer without lymph metastasis50%(10/20), they was significant difference (p<0.01). The expression of VEGF-C inintra-gland and extra-gland thyroid cancers was54.54%(12/22) and 84.61%(22/26) ,they was significant difference(p<0.05).The expression of VEGF-C in the histologicaltypes of the thyroid cancerâ… ,â…¡,â…¢,â…£were 70.37%,75%,100%,40%respectively; Which was no significant difference (p>0.05).The expression ofVEGF-C in papillary,follicular and medullar thyroid cancers were 88%(22/25),37.5%(6/16) and 83.33%(5/6) respectively; And they were significant difference(p<0.01). (4)The expression of Flt-4 in thyroid cancer with lymph node metastasis was78.57% (22/28) higher than that in thyroid cancer without lymph metastasis40%(8/20), they was significant difference (p<0.01). The expression of Flt-4 inintra-gland and extra-gland thyroid cancers were 40.91 %( 9/22) and 80.77% (21/26),they was significant difference (p<0.05). The expression of Flt-4 in the histologicaltypes of the thyroid cancerâ… ,â…¡,â…¢,â…£were 59.26%,58.33%,100%,60%respectively; Which was no significant difference (p>0.05).The expression of Flt-4 inpapillary,follicular and medullar thyroid cancers were 88%(22/25) ,25%(4/16) and66.67%(4/6)respectively; And they were significant difference (p<0.01). (5) In 48 cases of thyroid cancer, the 26 cases co-expression of VEGF-C andFlt-4 was positive; the 10 cases co-expression of VEGF-C and Flt-4 was negative; butthe 8 cases expression of VEGF-C was positive and the expression of Flt-4 wasnegative; the 4 cases expression of VEGF-C was negative and the expression of Flt-4was positive; there was a significant positive correlation in thyroid cancer betweenVEGF-C and Flt-4 (p<0.01). (6)In 20 cases of primary thyroid cancer and metastasic lymph nodes, the 12cases expression of VEGF-C were positive in primary thyroid cancer and metastasiclymph nodes; the 4 cases expression of VEGF-C were negative in primary thyroidcancer and metastasic lymph nodes; but the 3 cases expression of VEGF-C werenegative in primary thyroid cancer and that were positive in metastasic lymph nodes;but the 1 case expression of VEGF-C was positive in primary thyroid cancer and thatwas negative positive in metastasic lymph nodes; The expression of VEGF-C was asignificant positive correlation between primary thyroid cancer and metastasic lymphnodes r=0.391(p<0.01). (7)In 22 cases of primary thyroid cancer and metastasic lymph nodes, the 14cases expression of Flt-4 were positive in primary thyroid cancer and metastasiclymph nodes; the 4 cases expression of Flt-4 were negative in primary thyroid cancerand metastasic lymph nodes; but the 2 cases expression of Flt-4 were negative inprimary thyroid cancer and that were positive in metastasic lymph nodes; but the 2cases expression of Flt-4 were positive in primary thyroid cancer and that werenegative positive in metastasic lymph nodes; The expression of VEGF-C was asignificant positive correlation between primary thyroid cancer and metastasic lymphnodes r=0.34(p<0.01). Conclusions: (1) The expression of VEGF-C and Flt-4 were related to the histological type,invasion grade and lymph nodes metastasis, they were no correlation with tumorgrade. They were a positive correlation between VEGF-C and Flt-4 in thyroid cancer. (2)The expression of VEGF-C and Flt-4 in the primary thyroid cancer andmetastasic lymph nodes was a positive correlation. (3) Clinical significance was found between VEGF-C / Flt-4 and lymph nodesmetastasis in thyroid cancer, and may be involved in the metastatic process.