Expression of Angiogenic Factors in Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization

In order to investigate the changes of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) expression in residual hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE), the expression levels of VEGF and bFGF expression in specimens surgically removed from 48 HCC patients were detected by immunohisto-chemical methods, and staining intensity of VEGF and bFGF was assessed by a computer-assisted image-analyzer. Among the 48 patients, 25 underwent partial hepatectomy alone (single operating group), and 23 were subjected to second stage surgical resection after TACE (TACE group). The results showed that the average absorbance-value (A) of VEGF was higher in TACE group thanthat in single operating group (0. 152±0. 021 vs 0. 131±0. 012, P