Overexpression of cyclooxygenase-2 is associated with breast carcinoma and its poor prognostic factors.
Cyclooxygenase is the rate-limiting enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of arachidonic acid to prostaglandins. The inducible form, cyclooxygenase-2, is known to be overexpressed in various human cancers including the colon, stomach, and urinary bladder. In this study, we evaluated the overexpression of cyclooxygenase-2 in 64 cases of breast cancer and correlated the results with clinicopathologic parameters. Immunohistochemical staining for cyclooxygenase-2 demonstrated positivity of the tumor cells in 46 of 64 cases (72%). Cyclooxygenase-2 overexpression was significantly correlated with larger tumor size and advanced clinical stage. Cyclooxygenase-2 overexpression tended to be more frequently observed in cases with presence of lymph node metastasis and in cases without expression of estrogen and progesterone; however, there was no significant correlation statistically. Nuclear and histologic grade were not well correlated with cyclooxygenase-2 overexpression. When ductal carcinoma in situ was considered separately, 32 of 42 cases (76%) were positive for cyclooxygenase-2. We conclude that cyclooxygenase-2 is up-regulated in a high proportion of breast cancers. The overexpression of cyclooxygenase-2 was associated with larger tumor size and advanced clinical stage, although lymph node status, estrogen and progesterone expression, and nuclear and histologic grade were not significantly correlated. Therefore, cyclooxygenase-2 overexpression may be a feature of the aggressive phenotype and may be useful as a prognostic indicator in breast cancer.
Shim
Jeong Yun
JY
Department of Pathology, Bundang CHA Hospital, Pochon CHA University, Sungnam, Korea.
An
Hee Jung
HJ
Lee
Yong Hee
YH
Kim
Seung Ki
SK
Lee
Kyong Po
KP
Lee
Kyong Sik
KS
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism
D007527:Isoenzymes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases