Effect of HIF-1α on VEGF-C Induced Lymphangiogenesis and Lymph Nodes Metastases of Pancreatic Cancer

摘要

The effect of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) on vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) and the correlation between HIF-1α and lymphangiogenesis and lymph nodes metastases (LNM) in pancreatic cancer were investigated. Immunohistochemical SP method was used to detect the protein expression of HIF-1α and VEGF-C, and Lymphatic vessel density (LVD) was determined by stain of VEGFR-3, collagen type Ⅳ in 75 pancreatic head cancers from regional pancreatectomy (RP) during Dec. 2001 to Dec. 2003. The relationship between HIF-1α and VEGF-C, lymphangiogenesis, LNM was analyzed statistically. The results showed that the positive expression rate of HIF-1α and VEGF-C in pancreatic cancer tissues was 48.00% (36/75) and 65.33% (49/75) respectively. In positive group of HIF-1α, the positive rate of VEGF-C and LVD, and LVD rate was 80.56% (29/36), 13.22 ± 3.76 and 88.89% (32/36) respectively, and in negative group of HIF-1α, positive rate of VEGF-C and LVD was 51.28% (20/39), 5.98 ± 2.17 and 66.67% (26/39) respectively (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). It was suggested that HIF-1α could promote the expression of VEGF-C, lymphangiogenesis and LNM in pancreatic cancer.