title: Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 protein in colorectal carcinomas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Overexpression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) has been demonstrated in various human cancers, including colorectal cancer. Thus, overexpression of COX-2 may be involved in the growth and progression of cancer, and this may have prognostic significance.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study is to evaluate the expression of COX-2 in colorectal cancer tissue, and to examine the relationship of its expression to various clinicopathological parameters and patient survival.
  
  
  METHODS
  Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue blocks were obtained from 60 patients who underwent surgery for colorectal carcinoma in 1995 at the Chonnam National University Hospital in Gwangju, Korea. We have used an immunohistochemical technique to localize COX-2 in colorectal carcinoma tissues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Immunohistochemical staining of the colorectal cancer specimens demonstrated that COX-2 expression was localized to the carcinoma cells and was not detectable in the stromal compartment of the cancers. The COX-2 immunostaining pattern was predominantly homogenous, and perinuclear cytoplasmic within the tumors. Normal colonic epithelium adjacent to the tumor showed no staining for COX-2. The COX-2 protein was detected in 70% (42/60) of colorectal carcinoma tissues. However, no significant correlation was found between COX-2 expression and various clinicopathological parameters, including histologic grade, tumor size, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, or stage. Furthermore, COX-2 expression did not correlate with patient survival (p = 0.401).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that COX-2 expression may play an important role in the evolution of colon carcinogenesis. However, further studies are needed to determine the prognostic relevance of COX-2.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Eun
authors.initials: YE
authors.lastname: Joo
authors.forename: Hyun-Soo
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sang-Woon
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Wan-Sik
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chang-Hwan
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Chang-Soo
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Sung-Kyu
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jong-Sun
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Rew
authors.forename: Sei-Jong
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases