[Prognostic significance of serum level of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 in hepatocellular carcinoma patients after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the prognostic significance of serum vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). METHODS: A total of 69 HCC patients undergoing TACE from October 2008 to April 2012 were recruited and examined. Their serum level of VEGFR-2 level was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The relationship between VEGFR-2 and their clinicopathologic features were observed. Prognostic significance of VEGFR-2 was assessed for their survival. RESULTS: Significant differences existed when the serum level of VEGFR-2 was categorized by tumor number and liver cirrhosis (P = 0.021, P = 0.049). The post-treatment serum level of VEGFR-2 was significant higher than that at pre-treatment (P = 0.045). When the mean pre-treatment serum level of VEGFR-2 (8709 ng/L) was used as a cut-off point, the patients with a low serum level of VEGFR-2 had better overall and progression-free survival than those with a high serum level of VEGF (17 vs. 28 months, P = 0.001 and 10 vs. 15 months P = 0.031 respectively). As revealed by multivariate Cox analysis, the pre-treatment serum level of VEGFR-2 was an independent and significant prognostic factor of survival for HCC patients at post-TACE. CONCLUSION: The pre-treatment serum level of VEGFR-2 may predict the post-TACE prognosis in HCC patients.