Original Article
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World J Gastroenterol. Dec 21, 2010; 16(47): 5975-5981
Published online Dec 21, 2010. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v16.i47.5975
Relationship between COX-2 and cell cycle-regulatory proteins in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Jun-Xing Huang, Wei Xiao, Wei-Chang Chen, Mao-Song Lin, Zheng-Xiang Song, Ping Chen, Yun-Lei Zhang, Feng-Yue Li, Rong-Yu Qian, Eeva Salminen
Jun-Xing Huang, Mao-Song Lin, Yun-Lei Zhang, Feng-Yue Li, Rong-Yu Qian, Department of Oncology, the People’s Hospital of Taizhou, Taizhou Medical School, Yangzhou and Nantong University, Taizhou 225300, Jiangsu Province, China
Wei Xiao, Zheng-Xiang Song, Ping Chen, Department of Pathology, The People’s Hospital of Taizhou, Taizhou Medical School, Yangzhou and Nantong University, Taizhou 225300, Jiangsu Province, China
Wei-Chang Chen, Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, Jiangsu Province, China
Eeva Salminen, Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Turku University Hospital, Turku, and Finnish Radiation Protection Agency (STUK) Finland, PO Box 52, 20521 Turku, Finland
Author contributions: Huang JX, Xiao W, Song ZX, Chen P and Zhang YL performed the majority of experiments; Chen WC and Lin MS edited the manuscript; Li FY and Qian RY collected the patient material; Salminen E revised the article.
Supported by The “333 Plan” Fund of Jiangsu Province, China, No. 2009-24
Correspondence to: Jun-Xing Huang, MD, Department of Oncology, The People’s Hospital of Taizhou, Taizhou Medical School, Yangzhou and Nantong University, No. 210, Yingchun Road, Taizhou 225300, Jiangsu Province, China. huangjunxing@yahoo.com.cn
Telephone: +86-523-86361458 Fax: +86-523-86225199
Received: September 13, 2010
Revised: November 2, 2010
Accepted: November 9, 2010
Published online: December 21, 2010
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the correlation between cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and cell cycle-regulatory proteins in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

METHODS: One hundred and two surgically obtained specimens of ESCC were randomly collected. All specimens were obtained from patients who had not received chemo- or radiotherapy prior to surgical resection. Twenty-eight specimens of normal squamous epithelium served as controls. The expression of COX-2, Ki-67, cyclin A and p27 was examined by immunohistochemistry. The Pearson test was used to analyze the relationship between groups.

RESULTS: The protein level of COX-2, Ki-67 and cyclin A was significantly higher in ESCC than in normal squamous epithelium (74.7 ± 61.2 vs 30.2 ± 43.4, 64.0 ± 51.6 vs 11.6 ± 2.3, 44.2 ± 32.2 vs 11.7 ± 5.0, respectively, all P < 0.01). In contrast, the protein level of p27 was significantly lower in ESCC than in normal squamous epithelium (182.0 ± 69.0 vs 266.4 ± 28.0, P < 0.01). In ESCC, COX-2 expression was correlated with T stage, the score of T1-T2 stage was lower than that of T3-T4 stage (55.0 ± 42.3 vs 83.0 ± 66.5, P < 0.05), and Ki-67, cyclin A and p27 expressions were correlated with the tumor differentiation (43.8 ± 31.7 vs 98.4 ± 84.8, 32.0 ± 19.0 vs 54.1 ± 53.7, 206.2 ± 61.5 vs 123.5 ± 68.3, respectively, all P < 0.01). COX-2 expression was positively correlated to Ki-67, cyclin A and negatively correlated to p27 expression in ESCC (r = 0.270, 0.233 and -0.311, respectively, all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: The expression of COX-2 is correlated with tumor cell invasion and is closely related to the cell proliferation in patients with ESCC.

Keywords: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, Cyclooxygenase-2, Ki-67, Cyclin A, p27, Tumor markers, Immunohistochemistry