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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2011 Sep 1.
Published in final edited form as: Pathophysiology. 2009 Dec 24;17(4):229–251. doi: 10.1016/j.pathophys.2009.11.003

Table 4.

Correlation of VEGF-C and VEGF-D with lymphatic metastasis

# of
Patients		 Method of
Analysis		 Comments P valuea Reference
177 IHCb VEGF-Cb was highly expressed in 37% of specimens.
VEGF-C expression was associated with a higher LVDb
(P=0.014), lymph node and distant metastasis (P<0.001
and P=0.008, respectively) and a shorter OSb (P= 0.028)		 P<0.001 [68]
123 IHC VEGF-C was detected in 87.3% of specimens. High
VEGF-C was associated with poor DFSb and OS
(P=0.0165 & P=0.0175)		 P=0.0131 [71]
121 IHC VEGF-D correlated with the presence of intralymphatic
tumor cells		 [80]
113 qRT-PCRb VEGF-C mRNA level also correlated with LVD
(P=0.0409)		 P=0.0074 [70]
105 IHC VEGF-Db expression was identified in 86 cases (81.9% of
all cases) and highly correlated with LN metastasis		 0.0238 [74]
98 IHC No correlations were found between VEGF-C or VEGF-D
expression and tumor size, grade, estrogen receptor status,
axillary lymph node metastases and other parameters		 NS [235]
80 IHC VEGF-C was also significantly associated with higher
peritumoral LVD, lymphatic invasion and number of
positive nodes in patients with micropapillary breast
carcinoma		 P=0.003 [236]
70 IHC Both VEGF-C and COX-2 correlated with LN metastasis,
LVD, LVIb as well as with worse DFS and OS		 P=0.01 [237]
51 IHC There was no significant correlation between VEGF-C and
LN status, LVI, tumor size, grade or other parameters		 NS [73]
33 RT-PCR VEGF-C mRNA expression and LVI or lymph node
metastasis		 NS [72]
29 qRT-PCR &
IHC		 Intratumoral VEGF-C and VEGF-D expression by
quantitative RT-PCR correlated with D2-40c but not with
CD31c microvessel density		 P=0.0414 [238]
a

P value indicates association of VEGF-C or -D expression with LN metastasis.

b

Abbreviations: IHC, immunohistochemistry; VEGF-C and VEGF-D, vascular endothelial growth factor C or D; OS, overall survival; DFS, disease-free survival; LVD, lymphatic vessel density; qRT-PCR, quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction; LVI, lymphatic vascular invasion.

c

D2-40 and CD31 are markers of lymphatic and blood vascular endothelial cells, respectively.