title: Cyclooxygenase-2 expression in borderline ovarian tumors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to investigate by immunohistochemistry the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in a single institutional series of borderline ovarian tumors (BOT). Moreover, to perform a comparative analysis, COX-2 expression was also analyzed in benign and malignant ovarian tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Paraffin-embedded sections form 51 BOT, 26 benign, and 37 malignant ovarian tumors were incubated with polyclonal antiserum against COX-2. The results were calculated as the product of the percentage of the immunostained tumor cells by the relative staining score. Cases with immunostaining values of >1 were considered COX-2-positive.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-four (66.7%) of fifty-one BOT were considered as COX-2-positive, and this rate was not significantly different with respect to COX-2 positivity in benign (50.0%) and in malignant (51.3%) ovarian tumors (P value = 0.23). A significantly higher percentage of COX-2 positivity was found in serous (24 of 24, 100%) with respect to mucinous (9 of 26, 34.6%) BOT (P value = 0.0001). Moreover, 7 (63.6%) of 11 endocervical-type mucinous borderline ovarian tumors were COX-2-positive with respect to only 2 of 15 (13.3%) intestinal-type mucinous BOT (P value = 0.013). The same trend was observed in benign lesions, with COX-2 positivity in 9 of 11 (81.8%) of serous versus 4 of 15 (26.7%) of mucinous tumors (P value = 0.015). On the other hand, no difference was found in the percentage of COX-2 positivity in serous (14 of 29, 48.3%) versus mucinous (5 of 8, 62.5%) ovarian carcinomas (P value = 0.22).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  COX-2 is differently expressed in BOT according to different histotype. Moreover, an increase of COX-2 positivity was observed from mucinous intestinal BOT to frankly malignant ovarian tumors suggesting that COX-2 overexpression might be involved in mucinous ovarian carcinogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Catholic University, 00168 Rome, Italy. gabriella.ferrandina@libero.it
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ferrandina
authors.forename: Gian F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Zannoni
authors.forename: Franco O
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Ranelletti
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Legge
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gessi
authors.forename: Vanda
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Salutari
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gallotta
authors.forename: Libero
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lauriola
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scambia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases