title: The relationship between cyclooxygenase-2, CD44v6, and nm23H1 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Esophageal cancer is the fourth most prevalent malignancy in China. The relationship between COX-2, CD44v6, and nm23H1 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  Expression of COX-2, CD44v6, and nm23H1 was examined, using the streptavidin-peroxidase method, in 82 ESCC and 30 normal esophageal mucosa (NEM) samples from the Shaanxi Province in China.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positive rates of COX-2, CD44v6, and nm23H1 were 73.2% (60/82), 64.6% (53/82), and 24.4% (31/82), respectively in ESCC, but 6.7% (2/30), 3.3% (1/30), and 90% (27/30), respectively in NEMs. There was a statistically significant difference between NEMs and ESCCs (p < 0.05). Expression of COX-2 showed a positive statistical correlation with expression of CD44v6 (r = 0.4732, p < 0.0001), and an inverse correlation with nm23H1 (r = -0.3226, p = 0.0035). Expression of COX-2, CD44v6, and nm23H1 had no significant correlation with gender or age (p > 0.05), but increased expression of COX-2 and CD44v6 showed statistical correlation with invasion and lymph node metastasis, respectively (p < 0.05). Decreased expression of nm23H1 was statistically correlated with lymph node metastasis (p = 0.0007) but had no correlation with invasion (p = 0.8221).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first report of a significant correlation between COX-2, CD44v6, and nm23H1 in ESCC. This knowledge might help us to further understand the molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis and progression of ESCC.
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Biomedical Engineering Postdoctoral Research Station, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an Shaanxi Province, PR China. lwk2001@263.net
authors.forename: Wen-Kang
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Yun-Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiang-Yang
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Mei-Ping
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhen-Xi
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000032:analysis*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000032:analysis*; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054778:NM23 Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinases / Q000032:analysis*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C112697:CD44v6 antigen; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D054778:NM23 Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinases; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human