title: Relationship between COX-2 and cell cycle-regulatory proteins in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the correlation between cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and cell cycle-regulatory proteins in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and two surgically obtained specimens of ESCC were randomly collected. All specimens were obtained from patients who had not received chemo- or radiotherapy prior to surgical resection. Twenty-eight specimens of normal squamous epithelium served as controls. The expression of COX-2, Ki-67, cyclin A and p27 was examined by immunohistochemistry. The Pearson test was used to analyze the relationship between groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The protein level of COX-2, Ki-67 and cyclin A was significantly higher in ESCC than in normal squamous epithelium (74.7 ± 61.2 vs 30.2 ± 43.4, 64.0 ± 51.6 vs 11.6 ± 2.3, 44.2 ± 32.2 vs 11.7 ± 5.0, respectively, all P < 0.01). In contrast, the protein level of p27 was significantly lower in ESCC than in normal squamous epithelium (182.0 ± 69.0 vs 266.4 ± 28.0, P < 0.01). In ESCC, COX-2 expression was correlated with T stage, the score of T1-T2 stage was lower than that of T3-T4 stage (55.0 ± 42.3 vs 83.0 ± 66.5, P < 0.05), and Ki-67, cyclin A and p27 expressions were correlated with the tumor differentiation (43.8 ± 31.7 vs 98.4 ± 84.8, 32.0 ± 19.0 vs 54.1 ± 53.7, 206.2 ± 61.5 vs 123.5 ± 68.3, respectively, all P < 0.01). COX-2 expression was positively correlated to Ki-67, cyclin A and negatively correlated to p27 expression in ESCC (r = 0.270, 0.233 and -0.311, respectively, all P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The expression of COX-2 is correlated with tumor cell invasion and is closely related to the cell proliferation in patients with ESCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, The People's Hospital of Taizhou, Taizhou Medical School, Yangzhou and Nantong University, No. 210, Yingchun Road, Taizhou 225300, Jiangsu Province, China. huangjunxing@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Jun-Xing
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Wei-Chang
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Mao-Song
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Zheng-Xiang
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yun-Lei
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Feng-Yue
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Rong-Yu
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Eeva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Salminen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019925:Cyclin A / Q000378:metabolism; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004947:Esophagus / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D019925:Cyclin A; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2