Cyclooxygenase-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor in chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.
10.3350/cmh.2012.18.3.287
- Author:
Soon Ha KWON
1
;
Soung Won JEONG
;
Jae Young JANG
;
Ji Eun LEE
;
Sae Hwan LEE
;
Sang Gyune KIM
;
Young Seok KIM
;
Young Deok CHO
;
Hong Soo KIM
;
Boo Sung KIM
;
So Young JIN
Author Information
1. Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. jyjang@schmc.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Cyclooxygenase-2;
Vascular endothelial growth factor;
Chronic hepatitis;
Liver cirrhosis;
Hepatocellular carcinoma
- MeSH:
Adult;
Aged;
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/*metabolism/mortality/pathology;
Cyclooxygenase 2/*metabolism;
Female;
Hepatitis, Chronic/*metabolism/mortality/pathology;
Humans;
Immunohistochemistry;
Kaplan-Meier Estimate;
Liver Cirrhosis/*metabolism/mortality/pathology;
Liver Neoplasms/*metabolism/mortality/pathology;
Male;
Middle Aged;
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/*metabolism
- From:Clinical and Molecular Hepatology
2012;18(3):287-294
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND/AIMS: 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.
