Clin Mol Hepatol.  2012 Sep;18(3):287-294. 10.3350/cmh.2012.18.3.287.

Cyclooxygenase-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor in chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma

• Kwon SH
• Jeong SW
• Jang JY
• Lee JE
• Lee SH
• Kim SG
• Kim YS
• Cho YD
• Kim HS
• Kim BS
• Jin SY

• KMID: 1392908
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3350/cmh.2012.18.3.287

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS
Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are up-regulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To investigate the levels of COX-2 and VEGF expression in chronic hepatitis (CH), cirrhosis, and HCC.
METHODS
The immunohistochemical expressions of COX-2 and VEGF were evaluated in tissues from patients with CH (n=95), cirrhosis (n=38), low-grade HCC (LG-HCC; n=6), and high-grade HCC (HG-HCC; n=29).
RESULTS
The COX-2 expression scores in CH, cirrhosis, LG-HCC, and HG-HCC were 3.3+/-1.9 (mean+/-SD), 4.2+/-1.7, 5.5+/-1.0, and 3.4+/-2.4, respectively (CH vs. cirrhosis, P=0.016; CH vs. LG-HCC, P=0.008; LG-HCC vs. HG-HCC, P=0.004), and the corresponding VEGF expression scores were 0.9+/-0.8, 1.5+/-0.7, 1.8+/-0.9, and 1.6+/-1.1 (CH vs. cirrhosis, P<0.001; CH vs. LG-HCC, P=0.011; LG-HCC vs. HG-HCC, P=0.075). Both factors were correlated with the fibrosis stage in CH and cirrhosis (COX-2: r=0.427, P<0.001; VEGF: r=0.491, P<0.001). There was a significant correlation between COX-2 and VEGF in all of the tissue samples (r=0.648, P<0.001), and between high COX-2 and VEGF expression scores and survival (COX-2: P=0.001; VEGF: P<0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
The expressions of both COX-2 and VEGF are significantly higher in cirrhosis and LG-HCC than in CH. High COX-2 and high VEGF expressions are associated with a high survival rate.

Keyword

Cyclooxygenase-2; Vascular endothelial growth factor; Chronic hepatitis; Liver cirrhosis; Hepatocellular carcinoma

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aged
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/*metabolism/mortality/pathology
Cyclooxygenase 2/*metabolism
Female
Hepatitis, Chronic/*metabolism/mortality/pathology
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Kaplan-Meier Estimate
Liver Cirrhosis/*metabolism/mortality/pathology
Liver Neoplasms/*metabolism/mortality/pathology
Male
Middle Aged
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/*metabolism