title: The status of cyclooxygenase-2 expression in ductal carcinoma in situ lesions and invasive breast cancer correlates to cyclooxygenase-2 expression in normal breast tissue.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is a paucity of data on cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression in normal breast tissue and on the changes in COX-2 expression from normal tissue via ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) lesions to invasive cancer. The aim of this study, therefore, was to investigate COX-2 protein expression in normal breast tissue, DCIS, and invasive breast cancer in samples from the same patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 39 patients, we investigated and compared COX-2 expression in paired samples of invasive cancer and normal adjacent breast epithelium by immunohistochemistry with a monoclonal COX-2 antibody. Furthermore, in 29 of these cases, we also analyzed a concomitant DCIS lesion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients without COX-2 expression in normal breast tissue also do not express COX-2 in invasive breast cancer and in DCIS lesions, respectively. Conversely, COX-2 expression in normal breast tissue was an indicator for COX-2 expression in the paired breast tumors. There was no significant correlation between COX-2 expression and pathologic tumor stage, nodal status, hormone receptor status, tumor size, grading, and lymphovascular space involvement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the largest study to date investigating COX-2 in paired samples of breast tumors and normal adjacent breast tissue. Our data are consistent with the hypothesis that COX-2 overexpression is an early event in breast carcinogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany. leo@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leo
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Faber
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hentschel
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Höckel
authors.forename: Lars-Christian
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Horn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D001940:Breast / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2