title: Cyclooxygenase-2 expression is associated with elevated aspartate aminotransferase level in hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), the inducible rate-limiting enzyme of prostaglandins biosynthesis, is involved in the pathogenesis of many chronic inflammation-related human malignancies including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its clinical significance in HCC remains obscure. The aim of our study was to evaluate COX-2 expression in HCC and correlate its expression to both clinicopathological parameters and patients survival.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study was conducted on 17 HCC and 21 adjacent nontumor liver tissues obtained from 22 HCC patients underwent hepatectomy. Eight normal liver tissues taken from normal donors and HepG2 cells were used as controls. Total RNA was extracted and COX-2 mRNA was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and correlated to the clinicopathological criteria and to patient's survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  COX-2 mRNA was detected in 58.8% of the HCC tissues and in 28.6% of the adjacent nontumor liver tissues. COX-2 expression was significantly associated with elevated levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) with high specificity for disease detection. There was no significance between COX-2 expression and any of the histopathological criteria.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  COX-2 expression may be involved in HCC carcinogenesis with high specificity for disease detection. COX-2 expression is significantly associated with elevated AST levels indicating a mechanism that may correlate both markers. However COX-2 expression seems to be an independent factor with no correlation to any of the histopathological data or patient's survival.
authors.forename: Eman A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Bayomi
authors.forename: Ahmed B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Barakat
authors.forename: Maha A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: El-Bassuoni
authors.forename: Randa M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Talaat
authors.forename: Mervat M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: El-Deftar
authors.forename: Sabrin A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Abdel Wahab
authors.affiliation: Technology of Medical Laboratory Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Misr University for Science and Technology, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ayman M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Metwally
mesh_terms: D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases