Immunohistochemical analysis of cyclooxygenase-2 expression in pancreatic tumors.
BACKGROUND
A considerable amount of evidence collected from several experimental systems and clinical studies with nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) indicates that Cox-2 may play a major role in colorectal tumorigenesis, but little information about Cox-2 expression in pancreatic tumors is available. In this study, we investigated Cox-2 expression by means of both immunohistochemical analysis and immunoblot analysis in pancreatic tumors.


METHODS
Fifty invasive ductal adenocarcinomas and 26 intraductal papillary-mucinous tumors (IPMTs) were used for immunohistochemical analysis, and five pancreatic cancer tissues and five pancreatic cancer cell lines for immunoblot analysis.


RESULTS
Cox-2 was expressed in 72% of the invasive ductal adenocarcinomas, 31% of intraductal papillary-mucinous adenocarcinomas, and none of intraductal papillary-mucinous adenomas. The expression rate of Cox-2 in intraductal papillary-mucinous adenocarcinomas was significantly higher than that in intraductal papillary-mucinous adenomas, and that in invasive ductal adenocarcinomas was significantly higher than that in intraductal papillary-mucinous carcinomas. However, there was no significant correlation between Cox-2 expression and the prognosis and clinicopathological factors. Immunoblot analysis identified Cox-2 in all of pancreatic cancer tissues and 60% of cell lines.


CONCLUSIONS
The biological role of cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) in carcinoma cells should be investigated with reference to the cancer progression of the pancreas.
Koshiba
T
T
Department of Surgery and Surgical Basic Science, Kyoto University, Japan. uriri@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Hosotani
R
R
Miyamoto
Y
Y
Wada
M
M
Lee
J U
JU
Fujimoto
K
K
Tsuji
S
S
Nakajima
S
S
Doi
R
R
Imamura
M
M
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control; D000236:Adenoma / Q000201:enzymology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D010183:Pancreatic Ducts; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases