The prognostic significance of growth factors and growth factor receptors in gastric adenocarcinoma

We evaluated growth factors/receptors expression in gastric adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate epidermal growth factor receptor ( EGFR ), vascular endothelial growth factor ( VEGF ), VEGF ‐ D , VEGF receptor ( VEGFR )‐2, VEGFR ‐3, transforming growth factor ( TGF )‐α, TGF ‐β1, and TGF ‐β‐ RII in tissue microarrays of adenocarcinoma, dysplasia, metaplasia, and gastritis. In adenocarcinoma, the expression rates of EGFR , VEGF , VEGF ‐D, VEGFR ‐2, VEGFR ‐3, TGF ‐α, TGF ‐β1, and TGF ‐β‐ RII were 2.0%, 0%, 10.7%, 4.4%, 11.2%, 26.3%, 9.4%, and 19.5%, respectively. VEGF ‐D, TGF ‐α, TGF ‐β1, and TGF ‐β‐ RII expression rate were higher in adenocarcinoma than in other groups. TGF ‐β‐ RII expression was correlated with VEGFR ‐3, VEGF ‐ D , and TGF ‐α expression in adenocarcinomas. Tumor location, histologic type, stage, lymphatic invasion, perineural invasion, angioinvasion, VEGF ‐ D , and VEGFR ‐2 expressions were associated with patient survival in a log rank test and advanced stage and positive expression of VEGF ‐ D were poor prognostic factors using Cox analysis. VEGF ‐ D expression may be of prognostic value in gastric adenocarcinoma, whereas EGFR and TGF family expression may only have a minor influence.