Figure 2.

VEGF₁₂₁b is expressed in human tissue and the expression is reduced in human colon tumours. (A–C) PCR on cDNA from different human tissues using primers to detect VEGF₁₂₁b, VEGF₁₆₅b and VEGF₁₆₅. VEGF₁₆₅ and VEGF₁₆₅b are detected in colon cDNA both in tumour and adjacent control colon (A). VEGF₁₂₁b is detected in colon tissue, aorta, spleen and placenta using VEGF₁₂₁b-specific primers (B). VEGF₁₂₁, ₁₆₅, ₁₂₁b and ₁₆₅b can be found in the retina and to a lesser extent in the human vitreous (C). (D) Densitometry analysis of VEGF₁₂₁b and VEGF₁₆₅b protein expression in matched human control colon samples and colon tumours analysed by western blot using a VEGF_xxxb-specific antibody (n=14 pairs, P=0.0067 paired t-test).