Tpl-2/Cot and COX-2 in breast cancer.
BACKGROUND
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide and although mortality (129,000/year) stagnates, incidence (370,000/year) is increasing. In addition to histological type, grade, stage, hormonal and c-erbB2 status there is therefore a strong need for new and reliable prognostic and predictive factors.


RESULTS
This minireview focuses on two potential prognostic and predictive candidates Tpl2/Cot and COX-2 and summarise information about them.


CONCLUSIONS
Tumor progression locus 2 (Tpl2/Cot) is a serine/threonine protein kinase belonging to the family of MAP3 kinases. Activated Tpl2/Cot leads to induction of ERK1/2, JNK, NF-kappaB and p38MAPK pathways. The first study on Tpl2/Cot mRNA in breast cancer showed its increase in 40 % of cases of breast cancer but no available data exist on protein expression. Cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2) is inducible by growth and inflammatory factors and contributes to the development of various tumours. Expression of COX-2 in breast cancer varied from 5-100 % in reviewed papers with significantly higher values in poorly differentiated tumours. Tpl2/Cot and COX-2 have their importance in different intracellular pathways and some of these are involved in cancer development. Briefly, the results from recent studies suggest that Tpl2/Cot and COX-2 could be prognostic factors in breast cancer.
Krcova
Zuzana
Z
Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University, University Hospital, Olomouc, Czech Republic. krcova.zuzana@seznam.cz
Ehrmann
Jiri
J
Krejci
Veronika
V
Eliopoulos
Aris
A
Kolar
Zdenek
Z
D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020930:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases / Q000502:physiology*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000502:physiology*
D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D020930:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases; C069937:MAP3K8 protein, human