title: Cyclooxygenase-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor in chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are up-regulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To investigate the levels of COX-2 and VEGF expression in chronic hepatitis (CH), cirrhosis, and HCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  The immunohistochemical expressions of COX-2 and VEGF were evaluated in tissues from patients with CH (n=95), cirrhosis (n=38), low-grade HCC (LG-HCC; n=6), and high-grade HCC (HG-HCC; n=29).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The COX-2 expression scores in CH, cirrhosis, LG-HCC, and HG-HCC were 3.3±1.9 (mean±SD), 4.2±1.7, 5.5±1.0, and 3.4±2.4, respectively (CH vs. cirrhosis, P=0.016; CH vs. LG-HCC, P=0.008; LG-HCC vs. HG-HCC, P=0.004), and the corresponding VEGF expression scores were 0.9±0.8, 1.5±0.7, 1.8±0.9, and 1.6±1.1 (CH vs. cirrhosis, P<0.001; CH vs. LG-HCC, P=0.011; LG-HCC vs. HG-HCC, P=0.075). Both factors were correlated with the fibrosis stage in CH and cirrhosis (COX-2: r=0.427, P<0.001; VEGF: r=0.491, P<0.001). There was a significant correlation between COX-2 and VEGF in all of the tissue samples (r=0.648, P<0.001), and between high COX-2 and VEGF expression scores and survival (COX-2: P=0.001; VEGF: P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The expressions of both COX-2 and VEGF are significantly higher in cirrhosis and LG-HCC than in CH. High COX-2 and high VEGF expressions are associated with a high survival rate.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Soon Ha
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Soung Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Jae Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Ji Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sae Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sang Gyune
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young Seok
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young Deok
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Hong Soo
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Boo Sung
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: So-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2
keywords: Chronic hepatitis; Cyclooxygenase-2; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Liver cirrhosis; Vascular endothelial growth factor