title: Cyclooxygenase-2 and epidermal growth factor receptor expressions in different histological subtypes of cervical carcinomas.
abstract: This study was designed to evaluate the significance of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression in a series of cervical adenocarcinoma (AC), cervical adenosquamous carcinoma (ASC), and cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). One hundred thirty cases of cervical carcinoma (30 ASC, 50 AC, and 50 SCC) were analyzed for COX-2 and EGFR expressions using specific primary antibodies. Samples were scored semiquantitatively as follows: (-), 0% of immunoreactive cells; (+), <5% of immunoreactive cells; (++), 5% to 50% of immunoreactive cells; and (+++), >50% of immunoreactive cells. The COX-2 expression was more frequently positive than EGFR in all cervical cancers studied. The COX-2 expression was also more prominent in AC than in ASC (P = 0.003). Expression of either COX-2 or EGFR was significantly different when comparing SCC with AC (P < 0.001 and P = 0.04, respectively). There was no significant correlation between COX-2 and EGFR expressions and age at diagnosis, recurrence, distant metastasis, and/or positive status of regional lymph nodes, neither between COX-2 and EGFR coexpression and the clinical data analyzed. Nevertheless, our data support that there are significant differences between EGFR and COX-2 expressions in the 3 different histogenetic types of cervical cancer. Also, in terms of therapeutic strategies, our data can be valuable in the selection of patients eligible to receive specific EGFR/COX-2-targeted therapy.
authors.affiliation: Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
authors.forename: Fátima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baltazar
authors.forename: Adhemar Longatto
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Filho
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
authors.forename: Marise A R
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.forename: Geraldo Silva
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Queiroz
authors.forename: Glória Jabur Bittar
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Oton
authors.forename: Ailton Fraga
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Júnior
authors.forename: Luiz Fernando Jubé
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: Fernando C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Schmitt
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018196:Carcinoma, Adenosquamous / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D066246:ErbB Receptors