Expression of connective tissue growth factor is in agreement with the expression of VEGF, VEGF-C, -D and associated with shorter survival in gastric cancer

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is believed to be a multifunctional signaling modulator involved in a wide variety of biological or pathological processes including carcinogenesis. The role of CTGF in gastric cancer (GC) has not been reported so far. In the present study the expression of CTGF, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), VEGF-C and VEGF-D on immunohistochemistry in GC and the correlation between the expression of CTGF and VEGF, VEGF-C, VEGF-D were examined, along with the correlation between the expression of CTGF and clinicopathological parameters, as well as survival of the patients with GC. The expression of CTGF was significantly in agreement with expression of VEGF, VEGF-C and VEGF-D (κ and P, respectively: 0.538, P < 0.001; 0.502, P < 0.001; 0.558, P < 0.001). High CTGF expression was significantly associated with lymph nodes metastasis (P = 0.038) and lower postoperative 5 year overall survival rates (23.9%) compared with those patients with low CTGF expression (48.4%, P = 0.0035). The present findings suggest that CTGF is a useful prognostic marker for GC. High CTGF expression is associated with the risk of lymph nodes metastasis and a poor survival time in GC.