Prognostic significance of cyclooxygenase-2 expression and nuclear p53 accumulation in patients with colorectal cancer.
BACKGROUND
Cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 is believed to be an important enzyme related to the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC). p53 has been reported to be a negative regulator of COX-2 expression in in vitro studies. The aim of this study was to investigate COX-2 expression and its relationship with nuclear p53 accumulation and their prognostic significance in CRC.


METHODS
COX-2 expression and nuclear p53 accumulation were examined by immunohistochemistry in 231 sporadic CRCs. Their prognostic significance and interrelationship were statistically evaluated.


RESULTS
We found 42.4% of the 231 cases of CRCs with positive COX-2 expression. Nuclear p53 accumulation was observed in 46.8% of cases. There was no significant correlation between COX-2 expression and nuclear p53 accumulation. COX-2 expression had no correlation with patient survival, whereas nuclear p53 accumulation was significantly correlated with poor patient survival on univariate and multivariate analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that COX-2 expression does not play a role in the prognosis of CRC and COX-2 expression is not affected by the status of nuclear p53 accumulation in CRC. In addition, our findings support that nuclear p53 accumulation may be a useful prognostic marker for patients with CRC.
Lim
Sung-Chul
SC
Research Center for Resistant Cells, Chosun University College of Medicine, Gwangju, Korea.
Lee
Tae-Bum
TB
Choi
Cheol-Hee
CH
Ryu
So-Yeon
SY
Min
Young-Don
YD
Kim
Kyung-Jong
KJ
D021581:Active Transport, Cell Nucleus; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism*
D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human