title: Cyclooxygenase-2 expression in endometrial polyps during menopause.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is expressed in endometrial polyps during menopause and how previous hormone use may affect this expression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-two postmenopausal patients with endometrial polyps were enrolled for this study. Eighteen patients had no history of previous hormone use, while the remaining patients had used vaginal conjugated estrogens for short periods of time (n = 25) or were long-term users of tibolone (n = 5) or tamoxifen (n = 4). The endometrial polyps were removed by hysteroscopy, and COX-2 and Ki-67 expression were measured in tissue samples by immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Endometrial polyps expressed COX-2 in the glandular epithelium and this expression was not significantly greater in patients who had previously used tibolone, tamoxifen or vaginal estrogens. However, Ki-67 expression was greater in the group using vaginal estrogens compared with the group of non-users; while in the other two treatment groups Ki-67 expression was less than in hormone never-users.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  COX-2 expression is present in endometrial polyps during menopause and may play a role in their growth regulation.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisa e Assistência em Reprodução Humana (CEPARH), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. ceparh@uol.com.br
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maia
authors.forename: Tânia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Correia
authors.forename: Luis Antônio
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.forename: Célia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Athayde
authors.forename: Elsimar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Coutinho
mesh_terms: D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D020847:Estrogen Receptor Modulators / Q000494:pharmacology; D004966:Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008593:Menopause / Q000378:metabolism*; D009652:Norpregnenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D011127:Polyps / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000494:pharmacology; D014591:Uterine Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D020847:Estrogen Receptor Modulators; D004966:Estrogens, Conjugated (USP); D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D009652:Norpregnenes; D013629:Tamoxifen; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C027385:tibolone