VEGF-C and lymphatic vessel density in oral squamous cell carcinoma: association with occult lymph node metastasis and patients prognosis

Author(s)

Simone Eloiza Sita Faustino

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Bauru.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Odontologia de Bauru (FOB/SDB)
• Defense date: 2010-11-05

Examining board members

Denise Tostes Oliveira; Marcelo Macedo Crivelini; Simone de Queiroz Chaves Lourenco; Marta Miyazawa; Luis Antonio de Assis Taveira

• Advisor: Denise Tostes Oliveira

Abstract

This study evaluated the lymphatic vesssel density (LVD) in correlation with the vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) expression by tumors cells and with clinical and pathological variables in patients with oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC). Eighty-seven patients with primary OSCC, clinically T1N0M0 or T2N0M0, with occult lymph-node metastases (pN+) and without (pN0), were analysed after treated in the A. C. Camargo Cancer Hospital, São Paulo, Brazil. Archived paraffin-embedded tumor specimens were sectioned and stained with anti- human podoplanin and VEGF-C antibodies. Lymphatic vessels were counted in intratumoral (ILVD) and peritumoral (PLVD) areas in twenty sequential high-power fields and in five hot spot high-power fields from each tumor. Average values were obtained and used as cutoff point. The correlations between ILVD/PLVD and VEGF-C expression as well as clinicopathological parameters were obtained by chi-square test or Fishers exact test. The 5 and 10-year survival rates were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method and compared by log-rank test. No statistically significant difference was found between VEGF-C expression in OSCC in regard to clinicopathological parameters. An association between the ILVD and regional recurrence was found (p=0.047) and the PLVD showed associations with disease-specific survival (p=0.044) and disease-free survival (p=0.016). These findings indicate that high ILVD may influences the regional recurrence in neck lymph nodes of patients with early OSCC, however this data was not enough to influence the disease-free survival of these patients with a statistically significant association. PLVD or ILVD did not show predictive value for occult lymph-node metastases in the early stages of OSCC. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 07/04907-0 - VEGF-C and lymphatic vessel density in oral squamous cell carcinoma: association with occult lymph node metastases and patients' prognosis
• Grantee: Simone Eloiza Sita Faustino
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate