title: Increased cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and P-glycoprotein-170 (MDR1) expression is associated with chemotherapy resistance and poor prognosis. Analysis in ovarian carcinoma patients with low and high survival.
abstract: The aim of the study is to test the prognostic value of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and P-glycoprotein in relation to responsiveness to chemotherapy in ovarian carcinoma patients with "shorter and longer" survival. We evaluated 52 ovarian carcinomas homogeneous for stage, histologic type, grade of differentiation, and surgical and chemotherapeutic treatment. Twenty-eight of the patients had died of progression of disease no later than 2 years after primary surgical treatment, while 24 patients were alive with no evident disease 5 years after primary surgical treatment. In logistic regression analysis, COX-2 and P-glycoprotein, when analyzed one by one, are significant (P= 0.017 and P < 0.0005, respectively). P-glycoprotein is correlated with COX-2 (P= 0.008, Fisher's exact test); moreover, both COX-2 and the P-glycoprotein are correlated with clinical response to chemotherapy (P= 0.022 and P < 0.0005, respectively, Chi-square test). Our data suggest that COX-2 and P-glycoprotein may have prognostic significance in advanced ovarian serous carcinoma. The COX-2 and the P-glycoprotein overexpressions are correlated to one another and both with a progression of disease during the first-line chemotherapy. The administration of a COX-2 inhibitor in association with chemotherapy in ovarian carcinoma patients may improve the tumor chemosensibility and the overall survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Pathology and Oncology, University of Florence, 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: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Boddi
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Taddei
mesh_terms: D020168:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D018450:Disease Progression; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D020168:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases