Significance of VEGF and Microvascular Density in Gastric Carcinoma

Background/Aims: The aim of this study is to observe the relationship between the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), microvascular density (MVD) and the pathological characteristics of gastric carcinoma. Methodology: A total of 87 cases of gastric carcinomas were examined by immunohistochemical staining, using anti-VEGF and anti-CD34 antibodies. Results: VEGF positive staining was obtained in 62 out of 87 cases (71.2 %). The MVD was 64.00 ± 15.51 (mean ± SE) in VEGF-positive group and 48.33±12.71 in VEGF-negative group. Conclusions: The expression of VEGF is correlated with tumor angiogenesis, and VEGF plays an important role in new blood vessels formation. The expression of VEGF and MVD were closely correlated with the degree of differentiation and lymphatic metastasis, but not related to depth of cancer invasion, size of tumor, age or sex.