[Expressions and clinical significances of c-met, c-erbB-2, COX-2, and IL-6 in the biliary tract cancers].
OBJECTIVE
c-met, c-erbB-2, interleukin (IL)-6, and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expressions are considered to be implicated in the carcinogenesis and progression of cholangiocarcinoma, but the molecular pathogenesis of cholangiocarcinoma is still poorly understood. We aimed to analyze the expressions of each marker and their relationships with clinicopathologic factors.


METHODS
One hundred and fourteen tissue samples were obtained from surgically resected specimens from patients with biliary tract cancer. The expressions of c-met, c-erbB-2, COX-2, and IL-6 were examined by immunohistochemically. The expression of each marker and correlations between these markers and clinicopathologic factors were analyzed.


RESULTS
The expression rates of each maker were as follows: c-met 34/112 (30.4%), c-erbB-2 5/112 (4.5%), COX-2 53/113 (46.9%), and IL-6 68/113 (60.2%), respectively. c-met expression was more frequently observed in cases with invasion through the adjacent connective tissues (p=0.0263). IL-6 overexpression was more frequently observed in cases with absent lymph node metastasis (p=0.0325). Either c-erbB-2 expression or COX-2 expression was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis (p=0.0442).


CONCLUSIONS
The expression of c-met was closely related to the invasiveness of cholangiocarcinoma. Co-expression of c-met, COX-2 and, IL-6 showed a significant correlation with invasiveness and lymph node metastasis and these could be useful marker to guide clinical outcome in patients with cholangiocarcinoma.
Joo
Hyun Ho
HH
Department of Surgery, Inje University Pusan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busanjin-Gu, Busan, Korea.
Song
Eun Young
EY
Jin
Sang Hwa
SH
Oh
Sang Hoon
SH
Choi
Young Kil
YK
D000368:Aged; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / Q000378:metabolism*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D015850:Interleukin-6; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases