PURPOSE: Recent studies have shown the important roles of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in a variety of cancers derived from epithelial cells, such as human colorectal adenocarcinoma and other tumors, including those of the breast, cervix, and stomach. In this study, we purposed to evaluate the clinical significance of COX-2 expression in prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Tumor specimens from 25 patients, who underwent a transurethral resection (TUR) or radical prostatectomy, were obtained between March 1995 and August 2004 from the Department of Urology, Chungbuk National University Hospital. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) tissues were also acquired from 27 age-matched control patients. Immunohistochemical staining for COX-2 was performed on paraffin embedded specimens, using the anti-human COX-2 monoclonal antibody. The immunoreactivity of COX-2 was scored from 0 to 3 , according to the intensity of the staining. RESULTS: COX-2 expression was detected in 24 of the 25 tumor samples (96%), but in none of the 27 BPH tissues (p<0.001). There was no significant correlation between the COX-2 expression and Gleason score. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that COX-2 is expressed in human prostate cancer, as in other cancers, which supports the possibility that COX-2 might play an important role in the development of human prostate cancer. Further studies will be required to clarify the role of COX-2 in the development and progression of prostate cancer.
Adenocarcinoma ; Breast ; Cervix Uteri ; Chungcheongbuk-do ; Cyclooxygenase 2* ; Epithelial Cells ; Female ; Humans* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Neoplasm Grading ; Paraffin ; Prostate* ; Prostatectomy ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; Prostatic Neoplasms* ; Stomach ; Urology

PURPOSE: The role of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 on the tumorigenesis and progression of human solid organ tumor is unknown, but recent studies have supported an important role for COX-2 in various cancers. Tumor development and progression depend on angiogenesis, which is mediated by several angiogenic factors, including angiogenin and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). This study was performed to evaluate the expressions of COX-2, angiogenin and VEGF in the tumor tissues of patients with urothelial carcinomas. The correlation of these factors was also evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The quantification for the expressions of COX-2, angiogenin and VEGF mRNA was assessed in 171 human bladder tumor tissues and 34 normal bladder mucosa, using quantitative competitive polymerase chain reaction (QC-PCR). The expression levels of COX-2, angiogenin and VEGF mRNA in the bladder tumor and normal bladder mucosa were compared using Student's t-tests. The correlation of these factors was also assessed by a simple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: The COX-2, angiogenin and VEGF mRNA expressions in the bladder tumor tissues were significantly higher than those in the normal bladder mucosae of the controls. COX-2 expression had a significant correlation with that of VEGF, but not with that of angiogenin. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that COX-2, angiogenin and VEGF were expressed in human bladder tumors. These finding support that these factors might play an important role in the tumorigenesis of human bladder tumors. These data suggest that angiogenesis, mediated by VEGF, may be involved in the neoplastic growth of urothelial carcinomas by COX-2.
Angiogenesis Inducing Agents ; Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell* ; Cyclooxygenase 2* ; Humans* ; Linear Models ; Mucous Membrane ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases ; RNA, Messenger ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*