Analysis of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in different sites of endometriosis and correlation with clinico-pathological parameters.
BACKGROUND
Recent studies have demonstrated the overexpression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in endometriosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of COX-2 in different anatomical sites of endometriosis and its association with clinico-pathological parameters in a single institutional series of patients undergoing operative treatment.


METHODS
COX-2 expression was analysed by immunohistochemistry in 136 samples of endometriotic tissue from 103 patients affected by endometriosis.


RESULTS
COX-2 immunoreaction was observed in 78.5% of ovarian endometriotic cysts, in 11.1% of peritoneal implants and 13.3% of recto-vaginal nodules. COX-2 positivity was not distributed differently according to age, pre-operative serum levels of CA125 and AFS score. Moreover, COX-2 positivity did not show any significant variation according to the subjective intensity of pain, as dysmenorrhoea, chronic pelvic pain, lower urinary tract or gastrointestinal symptoms, or according to infertility.


CONCLUSIONS
Increased COX-2 expression in the endometriotic ovarian cyst wall was observed with respect to other extraovarian localizations. No relevant correlations between COX-2 positivity and clinico-pathological characteristics and symptoms of patients were observed.
Fagotti
Anna
A
Department of Gynecological Oncology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Campobasso, Italy.
Ferrandina
Gabriella
G
Fanfani
Francesco
F
Legge
Francesco
F
Lauriola
Libero
L
Gessi
Marco
M
Castelli
Paola
P
Barbieri
Fabrizio
F
Minelli
Luca
L
Scambia
Giovanni
G
D000328:Adult; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000032:analysis*; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010048:Ovarian Cysts / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D010537:Peritoneum / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000032:analysis*; D012007:Rectum / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D014621:Vagina / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology
D018394:CA-125 Antigen; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases