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Prognostic Importance of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A Expression and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Polymorphisms in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer
  1. Maja Patricia Smerdel, MD*,,
  2. Marianne WaldstrØM, MD,
  3. Ivan Brandslund, MD, DMSc,§,
  4. Karina Dahl Steffensen, MD, PhD*,,
  5. Rikke Fredslund Andersen, MSc, PhD§ and
  6. Anders Jakobsen, MD, DMSc*,
  1. *Department of Oncology, Vejle Hospital, Vejle;
  2. Institute for Regional Health Services Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense;
  3. Department of Pathology, and
  4. §Clinical Biochemistry, Vejle Hospital, Vejle, Denmark.
  1. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Maja Patricia Smerdel, MD, Department of Oncology, Vejle Hospital, Kabbeltoft 25, DK-7100 Vejle, Denmark. E-mail: Maja.Patricia.Smerdel{at}slb.regionsyddanmark.dk.

Abstract

Introduction: Vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) play a central role in angiogenesis and consequently, in various steps of ovarian carcinogenesis. Gene polymorphisms within the VEGF system have revealed a correlation with prognosis in some malignancies. The aim of the present study was to examine the possible importance of 2 VEGF polymorphisms and VEGF-A expression in ovarian cancer.

Methods: We investigated 2 single nucleotide polymorphisms VEGF +405G/C and VEGF −460C/T by polymerase chain reaction and also analyzed VEGF-A expression by immunohistochemistry in 159 women with ovarian cancer.

Results: Vascular endothelial growth factor-A expression revealed a significant correlation with survival in a Cox proportional hazards regression model (P = 0.012). Germline polymorphisms were not correlated with clinicopathological parameters such as stage, type, and histology. Heterozygous genotype in VEGF +405G/C predicted a better survival compared with homozygous genotypes (P = 0.034), and the heterozygous genotype in VEGF −460C/T pointed to the same direction. A multivariate analysis also indicated that heterozygosity of either of the 2 polymorphisms held independent prognostic significance (P = 0.001).

Conclusions: Vascular endothelial growth factor polymorphisms +405G/C and VEGF expression seem to have independent prognostic importance.

  • Ovarian cancer
  • VEGF polymorphisms
  • VEGF-A expression
  • Survival

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Footnotes

  • Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.