Cyclooxygenase-2 expression is associated with initiation of hepatocellular carcinoma, while prostaglandin receptor-1 expression predicts survival

Figure 1 Overall survival of hepatocellular carcinoma patients stratified by low or high expression of EP₁ receptor.

Figure 2 Cyclooxygenase-2 and prostaglandin E1 receptor immunoreactivity scores in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues at different histological grades. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression was higher in well-differentiated tissue (Edmondson grade I-II), while EP₁ receptor expression was higher in poorly-differentiated tissue (Edmondson grade III-IV). WD: Well-differentiated; PD: Poorly differentiated; HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma.

Figure 3 Representative micrographs showing different intensities of immunohistochemical stain against cyclooxygenase-2 and prostaglandin E1 receptor in tissues with different histological grades (Edmondson grade I-IV). Magnification, × 100. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression level decreased with lower grade of differentiation, while EP₁ receptor expression increased with lower grade of differentiation.