Abstract
The present study was designed to investigate the role of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-3/Flt-4 in the early stages of cervical cancer. VEGFR-3/Flt-4 expression, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C and VEGF-D in the early stages (Ia-IIa) of cervical cancer in 41 patients was examined by immunohistochemical analysis. Additionally, the VEGFR-3/Flt-4-marked vascular density (MVD) was examined and the relationship of these factors with clinicopathological factors was analyzed. VEGFR-3/Flt-4 was found to be expressed in lymphatic endothelial cells and, to a certain extent, in vascular endothelial cells. The VEGFR-3/Flt-4-positive vessels were largely distributed in the stroma surrounding the tumor tissues, and these vessels were morphologically divided into blood and lymphatic vessels, respectively. Cancer cells were found to express VEGF-C, VEGF-D and VEGFR-3/Flt-4, and their positive expression rate was 48.7% (20/41), 58.5% (24/41) and 63.4% (26/41), respectively. VEGFR-3/Flt-4 expression in the cancer cells of the cervical cancer patients in our study was found to be correlated to the clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, lymphatic invasion and expression of VEGF-C and VEGF-D. However, this expression was unrelated to menstrual status, histological grade and histological classification. MVD was correlated to the clinical stage and expression of VEGF-C and VEGF-D, but was unrelated to menstrual status, histological grade, histological classification, lymph node metastasis and lymphatic invasion. In conclusion, VEGFR-3/Flt-4 plays an important role in the early stages of cervical cancer.