To study the expression and significance of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and microvessel density (MVD) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients underwent preoperative transcatheter arterial embolization (TACE).

The expressions of VEGF and CD34 in 91 specimens of HCC with preoperative TACE (TACE group) and 50 specimens of HCC (non-TACE group) were detected by immunohistochemistry method. The expressions of VEGF and CD34 between the two groups were compared. Correlations of VEGF expression to the recurrence were analyzed.

VEGF was expressed in cytolymph and CD34 was expressed in vascular endothelial cell. Expressions of VEGF was significantly higher in TACE group than that in non-TACE group, 6.9±4.7 vs 5.1±4.4, P<0.05, so did MVD, 62.0±35.4 vs 45.6±29.0, P<0.05. In patients who underwent curative resection after preoperative TACE, the positive rates of VEGF were significantly higher in recurrent group than in non-recurrent group, 82.2% vs 41.2%, P<0.05. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year disease-free survival rates in VEGF-negative group were significantly higher than that in VEGF-positive group, 88.5% vs 50.9%, 68.2% vs 28.1%, and 53.0% vs 22.5%, P<0.05. Multivariate analysis revealed that preoperative disseminated nodes and the expression of VEGF were independent recurrence risk factors.

There is more angiogenesis and potentiality of recurrence and metastasis in tumor tissues of HCC patients after TACE. The expression of VEGF is closely correlated to postoperative recurrence of HCC patients who underwent preoperative TACE.