Cyclo-oxygenase-2 over-expression is associated with human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
Cyclo-oxygenase (COX)-2 is not usually detectable in normal tissues but is induced in inflammation and carcinogenesis. The level of COX-2 is elevated in cancer tissues of the colon, bladder, and skin. In the esophagus, squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma are known to express COX-2. The purpose of this study was to clarify the association of COX-2 expression with clinicopathological factors of squamous cell carcinoma. The immunohistochemical expression of COX-2 was examined in 48 surgical specimens of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Although COX-2 over-expression was more frequently observed in tumors invading the submucosa (T1b, 76.4%), muscularis propria (T2, 57.1%), adventitia, or adjacent organs (T3 approximately 4, 83.3%), even 33.3% of mucosal cancers, such as T1a, showed COX-2 over-expression. COX-2 over-expression was present in 82.3% of lymph node-negative patients but in only 54.8% of lymph node positive patients. There was no difference in COX-2 over-expression between the earlier stages (0 and I, 60%) and more advanced stages (II approximately IV, 69.6%). COX-2 over-expression did not correlate with survival during 3 years of follow-up. These findings suggest that COX-2 is associated with the phenotype of the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells, including superficial cancer cells, and may be related to tumor growth in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
Miyashita
Masao
M
Surgery for Organ Function and Biological Regulation (Department of Surgery), Nippon Medical School Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. miyashit@nms.ac.jp
Makino
Hiroshi
H
Katsuta
Miwako
M
Nomura
Tsutomu
T
Shinji
Seiichi
S
Kashiwabara
Moto
M
Takahashi
Ken
K
Kudo
Mitsuhiro
M
Ishiwata
Toshiyuki
T
Naito
Zenya
Z
Tajiri
Takashi
T
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000032:analysis*; D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype
D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2