BACKGROUNDAngiogenesis and lymphogenesis which were promoted by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and VEGF-C are important in the growth and metastasis of solid tumors. The high level of VEGF and VEGF-C were distributed in numerous types of cancers, but their distribution and expression in Wilms tumor, the most common pediatric tumor of the kidney, was unclear.

METHODSTo learn about the distribution, mass spectroscopy and immunohistochemistry were used to measure the level of VEGF and VEGF-C in serum and tissue of Wilms tumor.

RESULTSThe expression level of VEGF in serum of Wilms tumor was the same as in pre-surgery and control, so it was the same case of VEGF-C. Both of these factors were chiefly located in Wilms tumor tissue, but not in borderline and normal. In addition, the higher clinical staging and histopathologic grading were important elements in high expression of VEGF and VEGF-C. Gender, age and the size of tumor have not certainly been implicated in expression level of VEGF and VEGF-C.

CONCLUSIONSThe lymph node metastasis and growth of tumors resulted from angiogenesis and lymphogenesis which were promoted by VEGF and VEGF-C in Wilms tumor. The autocrine and paracrine process of VEGF and VEGF-C were the principal contributor to specific tissues of Wilms tumor but not to the entire body.