Tumor cyclooxygenase-2 levels correlate with tumor invasiveness in human hepatocellular carcinoma

Table 1 Relationship between COX-2 levels in tumor cytosol and pathological features of HCC.

Tumor characteristics	Tumor COX-2 cytosolic level (ng/mg total protein)	P
Tumor size: ≤5 cm (n = 44)	0.385 (0.084-1.971)	0.567
>5 cm (n = 56)	0.350 (0.044-1.690)
Tumor number: solitary (n = 72)	0.305 (0.044-1.971)	0.027
multiple (n = 28)	0.423 (0.086-1.690)
Tumor grade: well-differentiated (n = 36)	0.376 (0.084-1.539)	0.799
Moderately- or poorly-differentiated (n = 64)1	0.349 (0.044-1.971)
Venous invasion: absent (n = 60)	0.295 (0.083-1.325)	0.03
present (n = 40)	0.410 ( 0.044-1.971)
Microscopic satellite lesions: absent (n = 78)	0.310 (0.093-1.971)	0.037
present (n = 22)	0.495 (0.044-1.690)
Tumor encapsulation: absent (n = 71)	0.351 (0.044-1.971)	0.587
present (n = 29)	0.372 (0.084-1.325)
pTNM stage: I and II (n = 50)	0.286 (0.083-1.325)	0.008
III and IVA (n = 50)	0.410 (0.044-1.971)

¹Includes 60 moderately-differentiated and 4 poorly-differentiated HCCs.