Clinical Value of Plasma Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Patients with Stomach Cancer / 대한내과학회지

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Angiogenesis is an essential step in growth and metastasis of solid tumors. Vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) is one of the most important mediators of angiogenesis. VEGF selectively stimulates endothelial cell proliferation and induces angiogenesis. Also VEGF was expressed by several human solid tumors and serum VEGF levels have previously been shown to be raised in patients with breast cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, renal cancer and melanoma. To evaluate the clinical value of plasma VEGF of patients with stomach cancer we studied correlations between plasma VEGF, tumor stage, tumor resection and microvessel invasion by tumor. METHODS: VEGF level was measured by ELISA methods in plasmas from 88 patients and after surgical tumor resection from 48 patients with gastric carcinoma. Microvessel staining was done by immunohistochemical staining using anti-CD34 monoclonal antibody on paraffin embedded tissues. RESULTS: The plasma VEGF levels were significantly higher in the stomach cancer patients than in normal controls(p<0.0001). In stomach cancer patients, plasma VEGF level was significantly increased according to stage progression(p<0.05). Moreover early cancer, T1, showed a significantly elevation of plasma VEGF level than that of controls. The level of plasma VEGF fell after surgical resection(n=48) of stomach cancer(p<0.05). Also the plasma VEGF levels were significantly higher in microvessel invasion by tumor(n=25) than in those without invasion(n=19)(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, plasma VEGF may be useful for predicting disease status and prognosis of patients with stomach cancer.