This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 1078-0432.CCR-07-4980v1 14/22/7438    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Tawada, K. Articles by Yokosuka, O. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Tawada, K. Articles by Yokosuka, O.

Quantitative Analysis of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Liver Metastases from Pancreatic Carcinoma as a Predictor of Chemotherapeutic Effect and Prognosis

Authors' Affiliations: ¹ Department of Medicine and Clinical Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University; ² Department of Internal Medicine, Funabashi Municipal Hospital; and ³ Department of Gastroenterology, Chiba Cancer Center, Chiba, Japan

Requests for reprints: Katsunobu Tawada, Department of Medicine and Clinical Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan. Phone: 81-43-226-2083; Fax: 81-43-226-2088; E-mail: dawadawa927{at}yahoo.co.jp.

Purpose: In pancreatic carcinoma, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression at the primary site has been suggested to be a prognostic parameter. We quantitatively analyzed VEGF expression in liver metastases from pancreatic carcinoma and examined the correlation among VEGF expression in liver metastases, clinicopathologic factors, and clinical outcome.

Experimental Design: The subjects consisted of 23 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma who had liver metastases and were treated with S-1 and gemcitabine as the first-line treatment. VEGF expression was quantitated by enzyme immunoassay in biopsy specimens of liver metastases and nontumorous liver tissue, and in plasma. In 10 of the 23 patients, VEGF expression was also quantitated in biopsy specimens of the primary pancreatic tumor. All samples were collected before treatment.

Results: The VEGF level in nontumorous liver tissue was 36.6 ± 10.0 pg/mg protein versus 376.8 ± 106.1 pg/mg protein in liver metastases (P = 0.0016). Pretreatment VEGF levels in plasma and in primary pancreatic carcinoma did not correlate with VEGF levels in the corresponding liver metastases. The median VEGF level in liver metastases (138.9 pg/mg protein) was used as the cutoff value between high and low VEGF expression in liver metastases. Patients showing high VEGF expression had a significantly longer progression-free survival and overall survival than patients showing low VEGF expression in liver metastases (P = 0.0219 and P = 0.0074, respectively).

Conclusions: Evaluation of VEGF levels in liver metastases might be useful in assessing the prognosis of patients with metastatic pancreatic carcinoma who are under systemic chemotherapy.