In NSCLC, VEGF-A Response to Hypoxia May Differ between Squamous Cell and Adenocarcinoma Histology.

Eilertsen M, Pettersen I, Andersen S, Martinez I, Donnem T, Busund LT, Bremnes RM.

Source

Ph.D. student, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Tromso, Norway. marte.eilertsen@uit.no.

Abstract

Aim: To investigate if hypoxia induces vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A and VEGF-C secretion in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells and if the secretion is cell type-dependent.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Adenocarcinoma (AC) (H522, PAC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (H520) cell lines were exposed to hypoxia and normoxia. Supernatants were analysed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Tissue microarrays, from 304 patients diagnosed with stage I-IIIA NSCLC, were immunohistochemically-stained and scored for VEGF-A and VEGF-C.

RESULTS:

In vitro, VEGF-A expression in hypoxic AC cells was significantly higher than that in normoxic cells (H522: p=0.004, PAC; p=0.007). In contrast, hypoxia led to significantly reduced VEGF-A production in the SCC cell line compared to normoxic cells (p=0.005).

CONCLUSION:

In vitro, AC and SCC exhibit different VEGF-A responses to hypoxia. Hypoxia mediates a pro-angiogenic response in AC, but apparently not in SCC.

TimAllenMDJD

Sunday, November 18, 2012

In Lung Cancer, VEGF-A Response to Hypoxia May Differ between Squamous Cell and Adenocarcinoma Histology