title: Cyclooxygenase-2 expression in normal ovaries and epithelial ovarian neoplasms.
abstract: Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression was investigated immunohistochemically in 57 epithelial ovarian neoplasms and in histologically normal ovaries. Positive immunostaining for COX-2 was observed in 78.6% (22/28) of the ovarian cancers and in 66.7% (14/21) of the borderline-malignant tumors. The rate of expression was significantly higher among the ovarian cancers than the benign cystadenomas (4/8; 50%) (p<0.05). There was a significant correlation between vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and microvessel count (MVC), but no correlation between COX-2 expression and MVC. There was a significant correlation between VEGF expression and COX-2 expression in all of the ovarian neoplasms as a whole (p<0.05). These findings suggest that an increase in COX-2 expression may be associated with malignant transformation and tumorigenesis of epithelial ovarian neoplasms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka City University Medical School, Osaka 545-8585, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ishiko
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deguchi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ogita
mesh_terms: D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000201:enzymology; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009852:Omentum / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010053:Ovary / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology*; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000556:secondary; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
chemical_list: D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008222:Lymphokines; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases