Cyclooxygenase-2 expression is related to nuclear grade in ductal carcinoma in situ and is increased in its normal adjacent epithelium.
Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is emerging as an important cancer biomarker and is now an experimental target for solid tumor treatment.However, no study has exclusively focused on COX-2 expression in early lesions such as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). We examined COX-2 expression by immunohistochemistry in 46 cases of women undergoing surgical resection for DCIS. We found that COX-2 expression was detected in 85% of all DCIS specimens, with increased COX-2 staining correlating with higher nuclear grade. Strikingly, COX-2 staining intensity in the normal adjacent epithelium was stronger than in the DCIS lesion itself. Our observations demonstrate that COX-2 is up-regulated in the normal adjacent epithelium and supports the hypothesis that the surrounding epithelial tissue is part of the disease process in DCIS.
University of California at San Francisco Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, California 94115-1710, USA.
Veronica
V
Shim
Mona L
ML
Gauthier
Daniel
D
Sudilovsky
Kristin
K
Mantei
Karen L
KL
Chew
Dan H
DH
Moore
Imok
I
Cha
Thea D
TD
Tlsty
Laura J
LJ
Esserman
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000473:pathology; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015854:Up-Regulation
D007527:Isoenzymes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases