title: Cyclooxygenase-2 expression in cervical cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cyclooxygenase (COX) or prostaglandin H2 synthase is the first enzyme that catalyzes the first two steps in the biosynthesis of prostaglandins from arachidonic acid. The aim of the study was to determine the expression level of COX-2 in patients with cervical cancer and compare it with that in the control group with no cervical pathology.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 76 patients divided into two groups: the control group--30 patients without histopathological changes and the group A--46 patients with cervical cancer, FIGO stage IB-IIA. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses were performed in these two groups of patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the control group, the expression of COX-2 was not confirmed compared to the group A of 26 (56.52%) patients. The expression of COX-2 showed a statistically significant difference in the presence oflymphocytic stromal infiltration (p = 0.0053). The expression of COX-2 was more pronounced in the stromal tissue without lymphocytic infiltration (80% vs. 20%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A higher expression of COX-2 in cervical carcinoma without stromal lymphocytic infiltration suggests a possible paradoxical effect of COX-2 in immunosuppression. Frequent COX-2 expression in the subgroup with poor prognostic histological parameters in the group A indicates the importance of COX-2 expression in the carcinogenesis of cervical cancer.
authors.forename: Aljoša
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mandić
authors.forename: Slavica
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ušaj-Knežević
authors.forename: Tatjana Ivković
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Kapicl
authors.forename: Dejan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ninčić
authors.forename: Goran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Malenković
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D001706:Biopsy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008875:Middle Aged; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2