Expression and significance of urokinase-type plasminogen activator and vascular endothelial growth factor in gastric carcinoma

Abstract:

Objective：To investigate the expression and significance of urokinase-type plasminogen activator（u-PA） and vascular endothelial growth factor（VEGF） in gastric carcinoma. Methods：Expressions of u-PA and VEGF was detected by immunohisto－chemistry in 98 gastric carcinoma specimens and 30 tumor-adjacent normal tissues. Relationship between u-PA and VEGF was ana－lyzed. Results：Positive expression of u-PA and VEGF was significantly higher in gastric carcinoma than in tumor-adjacent normal tissues（P=0.000）. Expression of u-PA and VEGF in gastric carcinoma with low differentiation，serous membrane involvement，lymph node metastasis，TNM stage（Ⅲ+Ⅳ） was significantly higher than that of u-PA and VEGF in gastric carcinoma moderate or high differentiation，no serous membrane involvement，no lymph node metastasis，TNM stage（Ⅰ+Ⅱ）（P<0.05）. Expression of u-PA was positively correlated with expression of VEGF（rs=0.568，P=0.000）. Conclusions：u-PA and VEGF are highly expressed in gastric carcinoma tissues. They have correlation with invasion and metastasis of gastric carcinoma，and both of them are involved in the occurrence and development of gastric carcinoma，which can be used as potential molecular marker determining the invasion and metastasis of gastric carcinoma. Meanwhile，they may have synergistic effect on the invasion and metastasis of gastric carcinoma. Combined detection of u-PA and VEGF may play positive role in early diagnosis，treatment and prognosis of gastric carcinoma.