Cyclooxygenase-2 Expression and Angiogenesis in Invasive Cervical Cancer.

Min, Bong Sik; Sohn, Woo Seok; Jang, Kee Taek; Lee, Sung Won; Kim, Hong Bai; Lee, Yong Woo; Kang, Sung Won; Park, Yang Suh; Jang, Pong Rheem

Original Article

Korean Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology 2002;45(3):399-403.
Published online March 1, 2002.

Cyclooxygenase-2 Expression and Angiogenesis in Invasive Cervical Cancer.

Bong Sik Min, Woo Seok Sohn, Kee Taek Jang, Sung Won Lee, Hong Bai Kim, Yong Woo Lee, Sung Won Kang, Yang Suh Park, Pong Rheem Jang

¹Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Korea.
²Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Korea.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
A large body of evidence suggests that cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is important in tumor growth and angiogenesis of gastrointestinal and other cancers. This was the study to determine the relationship between tumor vascularity and COX-2 expression in invasive cervical cancer. METHODS: We examined the expression of COX-2 and microvessel density (MVD) by immunohis- tochemical staining in 21 specimens collected from invasive cervical cancer patients. RESULTS: All specimens showed weak and strong immunoreactivity, with 52.4% strong reactivity. Microvessel count was higher (median 136) in the strong COX-2 immunoreactivity specimens than the weaks (median 90), and MVD was significantly correlated with the COX-2 immunoreactivity (P=0.002). CONCLUSION: These preliminary data indicate that overexpression of COX-2 may play an important role in carcinogenesis of cervical cancer and this could be partially attributable to modulation of angiogenesis by COX-2. COX-2 maybe a target for future research in the tumorigenesis of the invasive cervical cancer.

Key Words: Cyclooxygenase-2, Angiogenesis, Cervical cancer