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Intranodal Lymphangiogenesis Precedes Development of Lymph Node Metastasis and Accelerates Progression of Gastric Cancer

  • Original Article
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Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery Aims and scope

Abstract

Introduction

Peritumoral lymphangiogenesis is significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis in various cancers. However, there are few reports concerning the role of intranodal lymphangiogenesis in lymphatic metastasis. The aim of this study was to examine the association of lymphangiogenesis in regional lymph nodes with the progression of gastric cancer.

Materials and Methods

Lymphatic vessel density (LVD) was immunohistochemically estimated in 1,596 lymph nodes from 52 patients who underwent gastrectomy.

Results

Intranodal LVD was significantly correlated with the size of metastasis and the progression of cancer. Patients in the high LVD group had significantly poorer prognosis relative to patients in the low LVD group. Furthermore, expression of VEGF-C mRNA was significantly up-regulated in lymph nodes of pathological node positive patients compared to node negative patients.

Discussion

Thus, intranodal lymphangiogenesis was correlated with nodal metastasis and poor prognosis of patients with gastric cancer. Lymphangiogenesis in regional lymph nodes plays an early role in spreading of tumor cells through the lymphatic system to distant organs in gastric cancer.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Grant-in-Aid Scientific Research (C) (to H.T. and K.H.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgical Oncology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan

    Mao Watanabe, Hiroaki Tanaka, Masaichi Ohira, Mami Yoshii, Katsunobu Sakurai, Takahiro Toyokawa, Naoshi Kubo, Atsushi Yamamoto, Kazuya Muguruma, Yoshito Yamashita, Kiyoshi Maeda, Tetsuji Sawada & Kosei Hirakawa

Authors
  1. Mao Watanabe
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  2. Hiroaki Tanaka
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  3. Masaichi Ohira
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  4. Mami Yoshii
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  5. Katsunobu Sakurai
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  6. Takahiro Toyokawa
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  7. Naoshi Kubo
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  8. Atsushi Yamamoto
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  9. Kazuya Muguruma
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  11. Kiyoshi Maeda
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  12. Tetsuji Sawada
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  13. Kosei Hirakawa
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hiroaki Tanaka.

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Watanabe, M., Tanaka, H., Ohira, M. et al. Intranodal Lymphangiogenesis Precedes Development of Lymph Node Metastasis and Accelerates Progression of Gastric Cancer. J Gastrointest Surg 18, 481–490 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11605-013-2407-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11605-013-2407-y

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