[Heparanase and vascular endothelial growth factor expression in non-small-cell lung cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinicopathological significance of heparanase and VEGF expression in NSCLC. METHODS: Eighty-five lung samples were studied. Each sample was divided into two parts, one used for heparanase mRNA detection by reverse transcription PCR and the other for VEGF detection by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: (1) The expressions of heparanase mRNA and VEGF were higher in NSCLC than in benign pulmonary diseases (P < 0.05). (2) The expression of heparanase mRNA was higher in cases with lymph-node invasion, metastasis, stage III and IV diseases, low-differentiation, and adenocarcinoma, as compared to cases without lymph-node invasion and metastasis, with stage I and II diseases, higher and moderate differentiation, and squamous cell cancer (P < 0.05). Its expression was higher in tumors larger than 5 cm in size (P < 0.05). (3) The expression of VEGF was higher in cases with lymph-node invasion, metastasis, and stage III and IV disease, as compared to cases without lymph-node invasion and metastasis, and with stage I and II diseases (P < 0.05). (4) There was no significant correlation between heparanase and VEGF expression (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Heparanase and VEGF are associated with NSCLC invasion and metastasis, and may be used to evaluate NSCLC metastasis status. Heparanase and VEGF promote NSCLC invasion and metastasis by independent mechanisms. Detection of these two markers may improve the sensitivity and specificity of the measurement of NSCLC metastatic potential.