Clinicopathological correlations of cyclooxygenase-2, MDM2, and p53 expressions in surgically resectable pancreatic invasive ductal adenocarcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and p53 represent molecules linked to oncogenesis of pancreatic cancer, and there is also a known regulatory loop between mouse double minute 2 (MDM2) and p53. The complex cross talks between p53 and COX-2 and scenarios explaining patterns of p53 and COX-2 expressions in precursor and cancer lesions have been recently reported.


METHODS
The expressions of COX-2, p53, and MDM2 were examined using immunohistochemistry in 85 resection specimens of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.


RESULTS
The positive tumor expression rates of COX-2, p53, and MDM2 were 69.4%, 60.0%, and 41.2%, respectively. Significant correlations between COX-2 and p53 expressions and between p53 and MDM2 expressions were revealed. In the Kaplan-Meier analysis, no statistically significant correlations were found among the levels of COX-2, p53, and MDM2 expressions and survival rates. In the multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model, grade and nodal status showed to be a valuable predictor of a worse overall survival.


CONCLUSIONS
The reported findings confirmed the relationship of p53, MDM2, and COX-2 with the biological process of pancreatic cancer. The expression of none of the examined proteins showed to be a valuable independent prognostic factor. On the contrary, grade and nodal status showed to be a valuable predictor of a worse survival.
Department of Pathology, Medical Faculty of Masaryk University, St. Anne's University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic. marketa.hermanova@fnusa.cz
Marketa
M
Hermanova
Petr
P
Karasek
Rudolf
R
Nenutil
Michal
M
Kyr
Jiri
J
Tomasek
Ivana
I
Baltasova
Petr
P
Dite
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D021441:Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010180:Pancreatectomy; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D051736:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C497206:MDM2 protein, human; D051736:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2