Biologic implications of the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor subtypes in ovarian carcinoma

BACKGROUND. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been identified a s an important factor for tumor angiogenesis, which is essential for the gr owth, invasion, and metastasis of solid tumors. This study examines the cli nical significance of VEGF subtypes in ovarian carcinoma METHODS, Tumor specimens from 128 patients with ovarian carcinoma were eval uated for VEGF and its mRNA expression. The expression of VEGF, especially its subtypes, was determined by Western blot analysis with a sandwich enzym e immunoassay in ovarian carcinomas and reverse transcription-polymerase ch ain reaction and Southern blot analysis in normal ovaries that served as co ntrols, and the relation between VEGF expression and the histologic types a nd clinical stages of ovarian carcinomas was analyzed. RESULTS, Among the four subtypes of VEGF, the populations of VEGF(165) and VEGF(121) were dominant in normal ovaries and ovarian carcinomas. The level s of VEGF and VEGF(165) mRNA in ovarian carcinomas were significantly highe r than in normal ovaries (P < 0.05). On the other hand, there was no signif icant difference in the levels of VEGF and VEGF(165) mRNA among ovarian car cinomas classified according to histopathologic type or clinical stage. CONCLUSIONS. This analysis suggests that VEGF(165) may be elevated in all s tages of ovarian carcinoma via angiogenic activity, regardless of histopath ologic type. Cancer 1998;83:2528-33. (C) 1998 American Cancel Society.