Visfatin upregulates VEGF-C expression and lymphangiogenesis in esophageal cancer by activating MEK1/2-ERK and NF-κB signaling.

ABSTRACT: Lymph node metastasis is a recognized prognostic factor in esophageal cancer. Adipokines, including visfatin, and the molecule vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C, are implicated in lymphangiogenesis, but whether any association exists between esophageal cancer, adipokines and VEGF-C is unknown. We examined the relevance of adipokines and VEGF-C in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases. We found significantly higher levels of visfatin and VEGF-C expression in esophageal cancer tissue than in normal tissue. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining identified that higher levels of visfatin and VEGF-C expression were correlated with advanced stage ESCC. Visfatin treatment of ESCC cell lines upregulated VE

SUBMITTER: Huang CL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10292883 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature