AIM:To investigate the expression of pathological factorsof VEGF-C and its receptor FLT-4 in primary gastric cancerand adjacent normal tissues.METHODS:The expression of VEGF-C and FLT-4 wasstudied in 80 primary gastric cancers and adjacent normaltissues from the same patients by semi-quantitative reversetranscriptase-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)andimmumohistochemistry.RESULTS:Both primary gastric cancer and adjacent normaltissue could express VEGF-C and FLT-4,and FLT-4expression was also detected in endothelial cells of stromalblood vessels and lymphatic vessels.There was a significantdifference in expression of VEGF-C between primary tumorand adjacent normal tissue samples(P=0.01),and astatistical correlation between VEGF-C and FLT-4 expressionin tumors(P=0.00886).With regard to VEGF-C expression,there was a significant difference between moderate-poordifferential type and high differential type(P=0.032),anda significant difference between positive and negative lymphnode metastases(P=0.024).However,there was nosignificant difference between positive and negative serosalinvasions(P=0.219).CONCLUSION:VEGF-C and its receptor FLT-4 play a rolein the development of gastric cancer,and the tumors withexpression of VEGF-C and FLT-4 are more likely to havelymph node metastasis. AIM: To investigate the expression of pathological factors of VEGF-C and its receptor FLT-4 in primary gastric cancers adjacent normal tissues. METHODS: The expression of VEGF-C and FLT-4 was staged in 80 primary gastric cancers and adjacent normal tissues from the same patients by semi-quantitative reversetranscriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) andimmumohistochemistry .RESULTS: Both primary gastric cancer and adjacent normal tissue could express VEGF-C and FLT-4, and FLT-4expression was also detected in endothelial cells of stromal blood vessels and lymphatic vessels. There was a significant difference between in VEGF-C between primary tumorand adjacent normal tissue samples (P = 0.01), and astatistical correlation between VEGF-C and FLT-4 expression in tumors (P = 0.00886) C expression, there was a significant difference between moderate-poordifferential type and high differential type (P = 0.032), and significant difference between positive and negative lymphnode metastas (P = 0.024) .However, there was nosignificant difference between positive and negative serosalinvasions (P = 0.219) .CONCLUSION: VEGF-C and its receptor FLT-4 play a role in the development of gastric cancer, and the tumors withexpression of VEGF -C and FLT-4 are more likely to have lymph node metastasis.