Relationship between urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor and vascular endothelial growth factor expression and metastasis of gallbladder cancer

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the relationship of urokinase type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression with clinical and pathological characteristics of human gallbladder cancer. Methods: uPAR and VEGF expressions in 68 gallbladder cancer tissues were detected with ant-receptor immunohistochemical stain. Results: Expression rate of uPAR was 57.4% (39/68), and VEGF 51.5% (35/68) in gallbladder cancer tissues. Expression of both uPAR and VEGF was significantly rdated to metastasis, but not significantly correlated with differentiation stage and size of gallbladder cancer. Conclusion: Expression of uPAR and VEGF may be an invasive phenotype of gallbladder cancer and indicator for predicting prognoses, and uPAR expression is significantly correlated with the expression of VEGF. Copyright © 2004 by The WJG Press.