Size- and invasion-dependent increase in cyclooxygenase 2 levels in human colorectal carcinomas.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs reduce the incidence and mortality of colorectal carcinoma. Their chemopreventive effects appear to be due to inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2. Here, we have studied the relationship between the COX-2 mRNA levels and pathological characteristics in 43 primary colorectal carcinomas. COX-2 levels were significantly higher in tumors with larger sizes and in those with deeper invasions but were not correlated with whether the patients had metastasis or not. These results suggest that larger carcinomas produce more COX-2 to support their own growth and that COX-2 inhibitors may be effective agents of carcinoma growth suppression.
Fujita
T
T
Second Department of Surgery, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan.
Matsui
M
M
Takaku
K
K
Uetake
H
H
Ichikawa
W
W
Taketo
M M
MM
Sugihara
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001483:Base Sequence; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1; C496511:PTGS1 protein, human; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases