title: Cyclooxygenase-2 expression in uterine leiomyosarcomas.
abstract: Many studies have focused on cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) alterations as a critical step in the onset and progression of cancer. Moreover, a strong correlation between COX-2 and chemoresistance has been demonstrated in several carcinomas. Recently, COX-2 expression has been observed in uterine carcinosarcoma, osteosarcoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma. We investigated COX-2 expression in chemoresistant uterine leiomyosarcoma in 30 patients who had undergone surgical treatment. COX-2 expression was observed in 13 cases (43.3%). Of the 13 patients with distinct COX-2 positive immunoreactivity uterine leiomyosarcomas, 7 had stage I or II disease and 6 had stage III or IV disease. The expression of COX-2 in uterine stromal malignancies may reveal a therapeutic hypothesis in the context of uterine leiomyosarcoma molecular chemotherapeutic approach.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Pathology and Oncology, University of Florence, School of Medicine, Florence, Italy. mariarosaria.raspollini@unifi.it
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Raspollini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Amunni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Villanucci
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paglierani
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Taddei
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D018450:Disease Progression; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007890:Leiomyosarcoma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases