Cyclooxygenase-2 overexpression is related to polypoid growth and K-ras gene mutation in T1 colorectal carcinomas.
OBJECTIVE
Cyclooxygenase-2 is thought to play a role in the development of intestinal tumors and levels are elevated in approximately 80 to 90 percent of human colorectal carcinomas. To clarify the role that cyclooxygenase-2 plays in the development of colorectal carcinoma, we studied the relationship between cyclooxygenase-2 expression and tumor morphology and that between cyclooxygenase-2 expression and K-ras mutation.


METHODS
We classified 48 T1 colorectal carcinomas as polypoid or nonpolypoid and analyzed the clinicopathologic features. The expression of cyclooxygenase-2 was determined immunohistochemically, and nested polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism detected a K-ras codon 12 mutation.


RESULTS
Cyclooxygenase-2 expression was higher in polypoid carcinomas than in nonpolypoid carcinomas (P < 0.001). The K-ras codon 12 mutation was associated with higher levels of cyclooxygenase-2 expression compared with carcinomas without this mutation (P = 0.028).


CONCLUSIONS
Polypoid growth and K-ras gene mutation are both associated with increased levels of cyclooxygenase-2 expression in T1 tumors.
Okawa
Takuya
T
Department of Digestive Surgery, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School, Tokyo, Japan
Yoshinaga
Keigo
K
Uetake
Hiroyuki
H
Sato
Takanobu
T
Higuchi
Tetsuro
T
Nemoto
Tetsuo
T
Sugihara
Kenichi
K
D000236:Adenoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018256:Adenomatous Polyps / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003062:Codon; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D005260:Female; D011905:Genes, ras / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000378:metabolism*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D003062:Codon; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases