Expression of cyclooxygenase-1 and -2 in human breast cancer.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated the expression of cyclooxygenase (Cox-1 and Cox-2) in mammary tissues from patients with breast cancer.


METHODS
We used reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
The cancer cells showed very weak expression of Cox-1, but strong expression of immunoreactive Cox-2. In contrast, immunoreactive Cox-2 was very weak in all of the benign mammary tumors examined, including fibroadenoma (FA) and mastopathy (MP). Immunoreactive Cox-1 was also very weak in these benign tumors. The extent and intensity of immunoreactive Cox-2 polypeptides was significantly greater in the cancer cells than in the FA cells or MP cells. RT-PCR analysis showed enhanced expression of Cox-2, but not Cox-1 in breast cancer tissue, and faint expression of Cox-2 in benign tissue.


CONCLUSIONS
These results demonstrated that human breast cancer cells generated Cox-2, indicating that Cox-2 might play an important role in the proliferation of breast cancer cells.
Yoshimura
Norio
N
Department of Organ Transplant and Endocrinological Surgery, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Hirokoji, Kawaramachi, Kamigyo-ku, 602-0841 Kyoto, Japan.
Sano
Hajime
H
Okamoto
Masahiko
M
Akioka
Kiyokazu
K
Ushigome
Hidetaka
H
Kadotani
Yayoi
Y
Yoshimura
Rikio
R
Nobori
Shuji
S
Higuchi
Atsushi
A
Ohmori
Yoshihiro
Y
Nakamura
Kenji
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D046508:Culture Techniques; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000032:analysis*; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000032:analysis*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496511:PTGS1 protein, human; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases