Aim: To investigate the prognostic significance of estrogen receptor 1 (ER1) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) expression in primary gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) to identify new prognostic markers for this malignancy.
Methods: Using immunohistochemistry, we investigated ER1 and VEGF-A expression in 78 GBC and 78 cholelithiasis (CS) tissues. The results were correlated with clinicopathological features. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the relationship between ER1 and VEGF-A expression and patients' prognosis. Further Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was also performed.
Results: ER1 and VEGF-A expression was significantly higher in GBC compared with CS (47/78 vs 28/78, P<0.05; 51/78 vs 33/78, P<0.05). ER1 expression was correlated with gender (P<0.05) and VEGF-A expression was correlated with tumor differentiation in GBC patients (P<0.05). In univariate analysis, age and tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage were factors associated with GBC prognosis (P<0.05). Although there was no statistical difference between the expression of ER1 or VEGF-A and overall survival, the high expression of ER1 combined with VEGF-A predicted a poor prognosis for GBC patients (16.30±1.87 vs 24.97±2.09, log-rank P<0.05). In multivariate analysis, combined expression of ER1 and VEGF-A and TNM stage were independent prognostic factors for GBC patients (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Combined expression of ER1 and VEGF-A is a potential prognostic marker for GBC patients. Clinical detection of ER1 and VEGF-A in surgically resected GBC tissues would provide an important reference for decision-making of postoperative treatment programs.
Keywords: Estrogen receptor 1; Gallbladder carcinoma; Vascular endothelial growth factor A.