Abstract: Objective  To study the relationship between the expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (KDR) in cervical carcinoma and the formation of cervical cancer and lymph node metastasis. Methods  We selected 72 cervical carcinoma tissues, their corresponding adjacent tissues and 36 normal cervical tissues which have been resected in the Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Baoji of Shaanxi Province from January 2010 to December 2013. The mRNA and protein expressions of VEGF-C and KDR were examined by semi-quantitative PCR and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay in these tissues. The relationships between the expressions of VEGF-C and KDR and the formation of cervical cancer and lymph node metastasis were analyzed. Results  The mRNA levels of VEGF-C in 72 cases of cervical cancer tissues and its corresponding adjacent tissues were 4.67±1.05 and 2.02±0.65, which were significantly higher than those in normal cervical tissues (0.36±0.06), with significant differences (t=2.247, P=0.025; t=1.379, P=0.027). The protein levels of VEGF-C in 72 cases of cervical cancer tissues and their corresponding adjacent tissues were 68.30±17.10 and 48.20±12.70, which were significantly higher than those in normal cervical tissues (18.40±10.70), with significant differences (t=4.357, P=0.016; t=6.337, P=0.012). The mRNA levels of KDR in 72 cases of cervical cancer tissues and their corresponding adjacent tissues were 3.52±0.95 and 1.92±0.87, which were significantly higher than those in normal cervical tissues (0.72±0.36), with significant differences (t=3.127, P=0.023; t=1.214, P=0.028). The protein levels of KDR in 72 cases of cervical cancer tissues and their corresponding adjacent tissues were 47.20±15.60 and 38.60±11.30, which were significantly higher than those in normal cervical tissues (16.40±9.40), with significant differences (t=3.667, P=0.020; t=0.986, P=0.032). The expression level of VEGFC protein in 72 cases of cervical cancer tissues was not correlated with age (χ2=0.54, P=0.17), tissue type (χ2=0.34, P=0.25), depth of invasion (χ2=5.39, P=0.08), pathological grade (χ2=0.78, P=0.11), but was correlated with tumor size (χ2=22.34, P=0.02), clinical stage (χ2=32.14, P=0.01) and lymph node metastasis (χ2=15.58, P=0.03). The expression level of its receptor KDR was correlated with tumor size (χ2=13.78, P=0.04), tissue type (χ2=32.74, P=0.01), pathological grade (χ2=13.72, P=0.04), depth of invasion (χ2=10.27, P=0.04), clinical staging (χ2=20.25, P=0.02) and lymph node metastasis (χ2=19.52, P=0.02), but was not correlated with age (χ2=4.17, P=0.09). Conclusion  The expression levels of VEGFC and KDR are correlated with the growth, invasion and metastasis of cervical cancer, which are good indicators of the lymph node metastasis.

Key words: Uterine cervical neoplasms, Lymphatic metastasis, Vascular endothelial growth factor C