title: Immunohistochemical study of cyclooxygenase-2 and p53 expression in skin tumors.
abstract: Overexpression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) has been demonstrated in various cancers, including experimentally promoted tumors, gastrointestinal cancers, breast tumors and skin tumors. The mechanism that controls COX-2 expression is not yet clear. Currently, it is reported that COX-2 expression is frequently associated with mutated p53 genes. The goal of this study was to evaluate the expression patterns of COX-2 and p53 in several skin tumors and their correlation. An immunohistochemical method was used to investigate the expression of COX-2 and p53 proteins on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue specimens of squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), basal cell carcinomas (BCC), Bowen's disease (BD), actinic keratosis (AK) and porokeratosis. The expression of COX-2 increased in 50% (5/10) of SCC, 80% (8/10) of BCC, 40% (4/10) of BD, 50% (5/10) of AK, and 20% (2/10) of porokeratosis cases. The expression of p53 increased in 90% (9/10) of SCC, 70% (7/10) of BCC, 70% (7/10) of BD, 50% (5/10) of AK, and 40% (4/10) of porokeratosis cases. COX-2 positivity rates of the p53-positive skin tumors were 56%, 100%, 57%, 80% and 25% in SCC, BCC, BD, AK and porokeratosis, respectively. However, the correlation between p53 and COX-2 expression in skin tumors was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Our results indicate that skin COX-2 and p53 may play roles in skin tumors, but that there is no apparent correlation between the two markers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Pathology, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Anyang, Korea.
authors.forename: Kwang Ho
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Eun Joo
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Young Ju
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Han Suk
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Chul Woo
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kwang Joong
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hye Rim
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D001913:Bowen's Disease / Q000378:metabolism; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007642:Keratosis / Q000378:metabolism; D017499:Porokeratosis / Q000378:metabolism; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2