J Korean Med Sci.  2006 Dec;21(6):1064-1069. 10.3346/jkms.2006.21.6.1064.

Cyclooxygenase-2 and Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Expression in Thyroid Neoplasms and Their Clinicopathological Correlation

• Kim KH
• Kim SH
• Kim SH
• Back JH
• Park MJ
• Kim JM

• KMID: 1713120
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2006.21.6.1064

Abstract

To evaluate the expressions of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in thyroid neoplasms in a Korean population, we studied a total of 154 cases: papillary carcinoma of classical type (PTC), 86; follicular adenoma (FA), 21; follicular carcinoma (FC), 35; medullary carcinoma (MC), 3; undifferentiated carcinoma (UC), 5; and Hurthle cell neoplasm (HN), 4. Using immunohistochemical staining, COX-2 expression was detected in 62 (72.1%) PTC specimens, 5 (23.8%) FA specimens, 10 (28.6%) FC specimens, 0 (0.0%) MC specimens, 1 (20.0%) UC specimen, and 3 (75%) HN specimens. iNOS expression was detected in 66 (76.7%) PTC specimens, 4 (19.0%) FA specimens, 13 (37.1%) FC specimens, 0 (0.0%) MC specimens, 3 (60.0%) UC specimens, and 4 (100%) HN specimens. The results showed that COX-2 and iNOS were frequently expressed in the PTC and HN specimens, and iNOS was more frequently overexpressed in the FC specimens than in the FA specimens. In PTC, COX-2 and iNOS were significantly overexpressed in patients over 45 yr of age (p=0.029, p=0.041), and iNOS expression was increased in patients with a large primary tumor (p=0.028). These results suggest that the upregulation of COX-2 and iNOS may contribute to the tumor progression of thyroid gland, particularly in PTC and HN, and iNOS may play an adjuvant role during the tumor progression of FC.

Keyword

Thyroid Neoplasms; Cyclooxygenase 2; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II

MeSH Terms

Tumor Markers, Biological/*analysis
Tissue Distribution
Thyroid Neoplasms/*diagnosis/*enzymology
Statistics
Sensitivity and Specificity
Reproducibility of Results
Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II/*analysis
Neoplasm Proteins/*analysis
Middle Aged
Male
Humans
Gene Expression Profiling
Female
Cyclooxygenase 2/*analysis
Aged
Adult

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Immunohistochemical staining demonstrates the intensity of COX-2 expression in the cytoplasm of follicular carcinoma cases. (A) score 0; (B) score 1; (C) score 2; (D) score 3 (×400).

• 

  Fig. 2 Immunohistochemical staining demonstrates the intensity of iNOS expression in the cytoplasm of papillary carcinoma cases. (A) score 0; (B) score 1; (C) score 2; (D) score 3 (×400).

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