VEGF-C and VEGF-D expressions were associated with VEGFR-3 expression and were significantly correlated with both peritumoral lymphangiogenesis and lymph node metastasis.
The results suggest that, in breast cancer, VEGF-C and VEGF-D are involved in lymphatic vessel invasion prior to lymph node metastasis, and their expression decreases after lymph node metastasis occurs.
The expression of VEGF-D protein and mRNA levels in patients without lymph node metastasis were significantly higher than those with metastasis (p=0.013, p=0.0494, respectively).
In conclusion, our findings indicate that VEGF-D expression and increased lymph vessel density may have an important role for lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid carcinoma.
The two groups with high expression of VEGF-C (P = 0.015) and VEGF-D (P = 0.020) in the marginal portion had a significantly higher incidence of lymph node metastasis compared with the groups with low expression, respectively.
Increased expression of VEGF-C, VEGF-D and VEGFR-3 was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis and peritoneal metastasis outside the pelvis.
Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that VEGF-D protein expression was an independent factor affecting lymph node metastasis (p < 0.01).