title: Prognostic significance of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and expression of cell cycle inhibitors p21 and p27 in human pleural malignant mesothelioma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A study was undertaken to analyse the potential prognostic value of the immunohistochemical expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and p27 in 29 malignant mesotheliomas already screened for the expression of p21 and p53.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemistry was used to determine the expression of COX-2 and p27. The correlation with survival of these factors and of p21 and p53 expression was assessed by univariate and multivariate analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A positive statistically significant correlation was found between p27 and p21 expression (p<0.0001), but there was a negative correlation between COX-2 expression and both p27 (p = 0.001) and p21 (p<0.0001). No statistically significant correlation was recorded between p53 and all the other immunohistochemical parameters. Univariate analysis showed that overall survival was strongly influenced by p21, p27, and COX-2 expression, but multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the only immunohistochemical parameter to influence overall survival of patients with mesothelioma was COX-2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that COX-2 expression may be a useful prognostic parameter for mesothelioma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, F Cedrangolo, Section of Anatomic Pathology, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.alfonsobaldi@tiscali.it
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baldi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Santini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vasaturo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Santini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vicidomini
authors.forename: M Pia
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Di Marino
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Groeger
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liuzzi
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vincenzi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tonini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Piccoli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baldi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scarpa
mesh_terms: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D050760:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27; D016213:Cyclins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000378:metabolism*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C493956:CDKN1A protein, human; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D016213:Cyclins; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D050760:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases