Correlation of HIF-1αand VEGF Expression with Invasion and Metastasis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Objective 　To test the expressions of HIF-1α, VEGF and counting microvascular density (MVD) in HCCs, paratumor tissues and normal liver tissues and determine the relationship between the former three factors and neoangiogenesis in HCCs. Methods 　SP method of Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of HIF-1α, VEGF and MVD in HCCs, paratumor tissues and normal liver tissues. Results 　Statistical analysis revealed that HIF-1α-positive and VEGF-positive stain rate were higher in tumor tissue than that in tumor-surrounding tissue and in normal liver tissue ( P < 0. 05) . Numerical value of MVD was significantly higher in tumor tissue than that in tumor-surrounding tissue and normal liver tissue ( P = 0. 001) . HIF-1αexpression is significantly higher in HCC with portal vein or biliary duct tumor thrombosis than that in without . In poorly differentiated HCC HIF-1α-positive stain expression is significantly higher than that moderately and well differentiated HCC( P < 0. 05) . VEGF expression is significantly higher in HCC with int rahepatic or lymphatic metastasis, and portal vein or biliary duct tumor thrombosis than that in without respectively ( P < 0. 05) . In tumor tissue samples with both HIF-1α-positive and VEGF-positive stain, the value of MVD is higher than that in both HIF-1α-negative and VEGF-negative stain tissue samples ( P = 0. 001) . Conclusion 　HIF-1α could accelerate angiogenesis by up-regulating VEGF expression, and then accelerate invasion and metastasis of HCC.