title: A study on expression pattern of cyclooxygenase-2 in carcinoma of cervix.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the present study was to determine the differential expression pattern of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in patients of carcinoma of uterine cervix and its correlation with tumor differentiation and lymphovascular invasion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy (70) cases of cervical carcinoma were included (20 in-situ, 42 invasive squamous cell, and 8 cases of adenocarcinoma). Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections were stained by Hematoxylin and Eosin. Immunohistochemistry for COX-2 were performed on these blocks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A higher expression of COX-2 was seen in invasive squamous cell carcinoma than in in-situ carcinoma (P = 0.002). Five out of eight cases of adenocarcinoma showed strong positivity for COX-2 antibody. Among the histopathological correlates, tumor differentiation did not show a positive correlation (P = 0.717), while lymphovascular invasion was associated with positive staining in majority of the cases (P = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Expression of COX-2 is more in cases of invasive than in in-situ carcinoma. Adenocarcinomas showed a strong expression of COX-2. A positive association of COX-2 expression and the presence of lymphovascular emboli were found in the present study. COX-2 inhibitors need to be studied as a therapeutic adjunct for the treatment of carcinoma cervix.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Burdwan Medical College, West Bengal, India. drranjanapatho@gmail.com
authors.forename: Ranjana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bandyopadhyay
authors.forename: Uttara
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
authors.forename: Santosh Kr
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Mondal
authors.forename: Dipanwita
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nag
authors.forename: Swapan Kr
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Sinha
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000473:pathology; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008853:Microscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2