title: Expression and localization of cyclo-oxygenase isoforms in non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: The beneficial effects of cyclo-oxygenase (COX) inhibitors in both colon cancer and adenomatous polyps suggest a role for the prostanoid pathway in epithelial malignancy. Although variable prostanoid synthesis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been demonstrated in freshly obtained tissue, COX messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein localization in such tumours had not been investigated ex vivo. Thirty-four cases of primary NSCLC were examined for both constitutive (COX-1) and inducible COX (COX-2) by means of in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. COX-1 mRNA expression was absent or below the level of detection via in situ hybridization. COX-1 immunohistochemistry demonstrated uniform faint cytoplasmic staining in tumour cells and stromal inflammatory cells. Semiquantitative analysis of COX-2 expression in NSCLC demonstrated the highest levels of both mRNA and protein in adenocarcinoma cells (n=10, p<0.005 compared with large cell and squamous cell carcinoma), intermediate and variable expression in large cell carcinoma (n=11) and low or absent expression in squamous cell tumours (n=13). Levels of COX-2 expression in infiltrating inflammatory cells was the same in all tumour types. In conclusion, tumour cell cyclo-oxygenase-2 rather than cyclo-oxygenase-1 expression may account for the variable prostanoid production seen in non-small cell lung cancer, and primary lung adenocarcinoma expresses the highest levels of cyclooxygenase-2. Assessment of cyclo-oxygenase-2 expression ex vivo should be performed in studies examining the potential therapeutic effects of cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer.
authors.affiliation: Asthma and Allergy Research Unit, The University Dept of Medicine, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Watkins
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lenzo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Segal
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Garlepp
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Thompson
mesh_terms: D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000235:genetics*; D008168:Lung / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011379:Prognosis; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496511:PTGS1 protein, human; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases