title: Cyclooxygenase-2 overexpression correlates with vascular endothelial growth factor expression and tumor angiogenesis in gastric cancer.
abstract: Angiogenesis is a key prerequisite for the successful establishment, growth, and dissemination of tumors. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has a potent angiogenic activity and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) promotes angiogenesis by modulated production of angiogenic factors including VEGF. The current study was designed to investigate the possible roles of COX-2 and VEGF in gastric cancer angiogenesis. In this study, we conducted an immunohistochemical investigation of COX-2 and VEGF expression in 97 patients with gastric cancer. To assess tumor angiogenesis, microvessel density (MVD) was determined by CD34 immunohistochemical staining. Expression of COX-2 and VEGF in gastric cancer tissues, was demonstrated in 63.9% and 75.3% of cases, respectively. The expression of COX-2 correlated significantly with VEGF expression. High MVD was significantly associated with depth of tumor invasion and poor survival. The mean MVD value of VEGF positive tumors was 79.8 +/- 32.0 and significantly higher than that of VEGF negative tumors. The mean MVD value of COX-2 positive tumors was 77.9 +/- 29.9 and not significantly higher than that of COX-2 negative tumor. The mean value of MVD in tumors positive for both COX-2 and VEGF was significantly higher than that in tumors negative for both. However, there was no correlation between COX-2 or VEGF expression and various clinicopathological features including patient survival. These results suggest that COX-2 may play an important role in carcinogenesis by stimulating tumor angiogenesis in concert with VEGF in human gastric cancer.
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: Jong-Sun
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Rew
authors.forename: Young-Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Sung-Kyu
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Young-Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Chang-Soo
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Sei-Jong
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
chemical_list: D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; 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