The Expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor(VEGF) and Survivin in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Larynx

Kim, Hyo Jin; Kim, Ki Hyun; Jang, Young Do; Cho, Sung Ho; Koh, Yoon Woo; Kim, Dong Wook; Lee, Byung Don; Chang, Hyuck Soon

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Angiogenesis and alteration of apoptosis are hypothesized to be the mechanisms of the growth of tumor. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is considered to be the most primary factor prompting the angiogenesis in tumor tissue, which also holds the central position in the course of formation and metastasis of tumor and regulates expression of survivin. The survivin protein is the member of inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family which inhibits apoptosis. Recently, several authors reported survivin and VEGF expression was found in various cancer tissue and they are suggest to play on the important role in cancer development. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the expression of VEGF and survivin and to investigate their correlation with the clinical stage, nodal involvement, and histologic grade in the squamous cell carcinoma of larynx.
SUBJECTS AND METHOD
Immunohistochemical staining for the paraffin sections by using a polyclonal antibody for VEGF and survivin by the standard avidin-biotin-peroxidase technique was performed in 19 cases with the squamouse cell carcinoma of larynx. The relationships between the expression of VEGF and survivin and clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed.
RESULTS
Immunohistochemical analysis showed the expression of VEGF in 15 of 19 cases (78.9%) and survivin in 19 of 19 cases (100%). There was no correlation between the expression of VEGF and survivin and the clinical stage, nodal involvement, and histologic grade in the squamous cell carcinoma of larynx (p>0.05). But VEGF results in an increased expression of survivin (p<0.05).
CONCLUSION
Further study will be needed to understand the relationships between the VEGF and survivin and squamous cell carcinoma of larynx.