title: The cyclooxygenase-2/thromboxane A2 pathway: a bridge from rheumatoid arthritis to lung cancer?
abstract: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) appear to be at a higher risk of lung cancer (LC). Although the connection between RA and LC has been an active area of research for many years, the molecular pathogenesis of the disease process remains unclear. The cyclooxygenase (COX)-2/thromboxane A2 (TxA2) pathway has been shown to play a potential role in LC development through an auto-regulatory feedback loop. An increased level of TxA2 has been found in RA patients, and intriguingly, the positive feedback loop for the COX-2/TxA2 pathway was shown to have a potential function in RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (RA-FLS). Thus, the molecular basis of LC development in patients with RA has been at least in partly described. It is possible that COX-2-derived TxA2 could be monitored for the early detection of LC in RA patients, and targeting this molecular pathway may decrease the risk of LC in patients with RA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine (Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Guangzhou 510006, China.
authors.forename: Qing-Chun
authors.initials: QC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine (Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Guangzhou 510006, China. Electronic address: ry_huang@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Run-Yue
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000378:metabolism; D013928:Thromboxane A2 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D013928:Thromboxane A2; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2
keywords: Auto-regulatory feedback loop; Cyclooxygenase-2; Lung cancer; Rheumatoid arthritis; Thromboxane A2