J Korean Soc Endocrinol.  2005 Apr;20(2):134-141.

Meanings of Expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Thyroid Tumors

• Kwon SK
• Choi YS
• Park YH
• Jang HK

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Angiogenesis is essential for tumor growth and metastasis. Vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF), also known as vascular permeability factor(VPF), is an angiogenic factor that plays important roles in tumor growth. Angiogenesis studies on VEGF deal with various types of malignant tumors, but little is known about the role or significance of VEGF in human thyroid neoplasms. Therefore, this study was performed to determine whether the VEGF expression in different histological types of thyroid tumors is altered and to see if there was a relationship between the expression of VEGF and either metastasis or the invasiveness of thyroid carcinomas.
METHODS
Forty-two cases that underwent thyroidectomy at Kosin Medical Center, between March, 1999 and February, 2000, were included in this study. Of the 42 cases, 27 were malignant(26 papillary carcinoma, 1 Hurthle cell carcinoma) and 15 were benign lesions. The expression of VEGF was determined by immunohistochemistry using paraffin embedded thyroid tissue blocks, and was quantified as negative(absent), +(1~24%), ++(25~49%), +++(50~74%) and ++++(> or =75%), according to the extent of positive cells.
RESULTS
VEGF was stained with red-brown colored granules in the cytoplasm of the thyroid tumor epithelium and was expressed in 27 of the 42 cases(+1, ++8, +++5, ++++13). Most malignant tumors(24 of 27 cases) were stained with VEGF, but only 3 of the 15 benign tumors cases were stained(P<0.001). When the VEGF expression was divided into ++ or below and +++ or above groups, the expression of VEGF was much more extensive in the malignant than benign tumors(P<0.001). Of the 27 malignant tumors cases, lymph node metastasis and/or invasion was noted in 13. VEGF expression was more extensive in malignant tumors with lymph node metastasis and/or invasion than in those without(P<0.001).
CONCLUSION
In this study, the rate and extent of VEGF expression were greater in the malignant than the benign thyroid tumors, and also the extent of VEGF expression was the extent of VEGF greater in the malignant tumors with lymph node metastasis and/or invasion than those without

MeSH Terms

Angiogenesis Inducing Agents
Capillary Permeability
Carcinoma, Papillary
Cytoplasm
Epithelium
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Lymph Nodes
Neoplasm Metastasis
Paraffin
Thyroid Gland*
Thyroid Neoplasms
Thyroidectomy
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*
Angiogenesis Inducing Agents
Paraffin
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

Figure

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  Fig. 1. Immunohistochemical staining for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in thyroid tumors A: Negative control of VEGF staining (X200). B: Papillary carcinoma, weakly positive (+) immunoreactivity of VEGF staining was observed (X200). C: Strong positive (++++) immunoreactivity was observed in the cytoplasm of papillary carcinoma epithelial cell (X200).

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  Fig. 2. Difference of expression of VEGF between benign and malignant thyroid tumors

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  Fig. 3. Expression of VEGF according to metastasis and/ or invasion in the thyroid tumor

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  Fig. 4. VEGF overexpression in the thyroid malignancies between metastasis or invasion and those without

Reference

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