The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-C in oral squamous cell carcinoma and its associations with angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis and lymph node metastasis

Objective: To study the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and its relation to angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis, as well as lymph node metastasis.

Methods: Sixty-seven archival specimens from patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma were investigated, whose clinicopathologic data were completely conserved. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect the expression of VEGF-C, microvessel density (MVD), lymphatic vessel density (LVD). The correlations between VEGF-C expression and MVD, LVD, as well as other clinicopathological features were measured.

Results: Although no correlation between VEGF-C expression and tumor location, histological grade, or gender of the patients was observed (P > 0.05), OSCC patients with more advanced clinical stages and lymph node metastasis were prone to have high expression of VEGF-C (P = 0.015 and P < 0.001, respectively). Cases with high-expression of VEGF-C also showed significantly more often higher LVD (P = 0.001) but not MVD (P = 0.125). In addition, cases with lymph node involvement presented higher LVD than other cases (P = 0.026).

Conclusions: VEGF-C may promote lymph node metastasis by inducing lymphangiogenesis in OSCC.