Brief Reports
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2005. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Aug 21, 2005; 11(31): 4908-4911
Published online Aug 21, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i31.4908
Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in gastric cancer and its relation to liver metastasis and long-term prognosis
Ji-Ren Yu, Yi-Jun Wu, Qi Qin, Ke-Zheng Lu, Sheng Yan, Xiao-Sun Liu, Shu-Sen Zheng
Ji-Ren Yu, Yi-Jun Wu, Ke-Zheng Lu, Sheng Yan, Xiao-Sun Liu, Shu-Sen Zheng, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Medical School, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, Zhejiang Province, China
Qi Qin, Department of General Surgery, Children Hospital, Medical School, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, Zhejiang Province, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province, No. 302048
Correspondence to: Dr. Ji-Ren Yu, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Medical School, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, Zhejiang Province, China. wu1jun@sina.com.cn
Telephone: +86-571-87236852
Received: October 9, 2004
Revised: November 20, 2004
Accepted: November 24, 2004
Published online: August 21, 2005
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in gastric cancer and its relation with the liver metastasis and prognosis.

METHODS: Expression of COX-2 mRNA and protein was examined in gastric cancer and its paired substantial normal tissue by semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. The relation between COX-2 expression and prognosis was investigated in 195 cases.

RESULTS: The expression of COX-2 mRNA in gastric cancer tissue was significantly higher than that in normal tissue in 47 cases (w = 792, P<0.01). The COX-2 mRNA in pT3-4 tissue expressed higher than that in pT1-2 tissue (w = 204, P<0.05). The positive expression rate of COX-2 protein was 57.9% (113/195). The COX-2 expression was significantly related to histological type, lymphnode metastasis, venous invasion and liver metastasis (P<0.05). No relation was found between COX-2 expression and invasion depth, peritoneal metastasis and International Union against Cancer TNM stage. The multiple regression analysis showed that the COX-2 expression and venous invasion were obviously associated with liver metastasis (P<0.05). However, there was no significant correlation between COX-2 immunoreactivity and prognosis.

CONCLUSION: COX-2 may play an important role in the development of gastric cancer, and the over-expression of COX-2 protein may be a high risk factor for liver metastasis.

Keywords: Gastric cancer; Cyclooxygenase-2; Neoplasm metastasis; Long-term prognosis