title: Cyclooxygenase-2 expression in human soft-tissue sarcomas is related to epithelial differentation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) is expressed by several types of epithelial malignancies, i.e., carcinomas, and inhibition of Cox-2 may have a therapeutic role in chemoprevention and treatment of cancer. The role of Cox-2 in non-epithelial malignancies, however, is unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated, by immuno- histochemistry, the expression of Cox-2 in 103 human soft-tissue sarcomas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 10 biphasic synovial sarcomas were positive for Cox-2, but positivity was observable only in the epithelial component of these tumours. Excluding sarcomas with epithelial differentation, uniform staining of the tumour was observed in only 2 samples. In addition, positivity for Cox-2 appeared in tumour cells in only 18 samples around necrotic areas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In human soft-tissue sarcomas, Cox-2 expression seems to be associated with epithelial differentation and, in some types of sarcomas, to be expressed in otherwise negative tumours at sites of necrosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, HUSLAB, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. patrik.lassus@hus.fi
authors.forename: Patrik
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lassus
authors.forename: Ari
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ristimäki
authors.forename: Riikka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Huuhtanen
authors.forename: Erkki
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tukiainen
authors.forename: Sirpa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Asko-Seljavaara
authors.forename: Leif C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.forename: Markku
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miettinen
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blomqvist
authors.forename: Caj
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Haglund
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Böhling
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases