J Korean Med Sci.  2001 Feb;16(1):83-87. 10.3346/jkms.2001.16.1.83.

Correlation of VEGF with contrast enhancement on dual-phase dynamic helical CT in liver tumors: preliminary study

• Kwak BK
• Shim HJ
• Park US
• Lee TJ
• Paeng SS
• Lee CJ
• Lim HK
• Park CK

• KMID: 1066499
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2001.16.1.83

Abstract

The purpose of this preliminary study is to elucidate that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) influences contrast enhancement of hepatic tumors on computed tomography (CT). Fourteen patients with hepatic tumors (11 hepatocellular carcinomas; 3 metastatic cancers) underwent a dual-phase dynamic helical CT or computed tomographic hepatic arteriography. The attenuation of each mass was determined as hyperattenuation, isoattenuation or hypoattenuation with respect to the adjacent nontumorous parenchyma. Gun-needle biopsy was done for each tumor, and paraffin sections were immunostained with anti- VEGF antibody by the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex method. The pathologic grade was made by intensity (1 +, 2+, 3+) and area (+/-, 1 +, 2+). The tumor ranged 2.0-14.0 cm in size (mean, 5.8 cm). In arterial phase, the intensity was not correlated with the degree of enhancement (p=0.086). However, the correlation between the attenuation value of hepatic arterial phase and the area of positive tumor cells was statistically significant (p=0.002). VEGF may be the factor that enhances the hepatic mass with water-soluble iodinated contrast agent in CT.

Keyword

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF); Computed Tomography, Contrast Enhancement; Liver; Liver Neoplasms; Liver Neoplasms, Blood Supply; Computed Tomography, Helical

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aged
Capillary Permeability
Endothelial Growth Factors/physiology*
Endothelial Growth Factors/analysis
Female
Human
Liver Neoplasms/radiography*
Liver Neoplasms/blood supply
Lymphokines/physiology*
Lymphokines/analysis
Male
Middle Age
Prospective Studies
Radiographic Image Enhancement*
Tomography, X-Ray Computed