Korean J Obstet Gynecol.  2005 Nov;48(11):2661-2669.

Relationship between the Expression of COX-1, COX-2, p53 and VEGF and Prognostic factors in Squamous cell carcinoma of Uterine cervix

• Joo JK
• Lee DH
• Kim KH
• Na YJ
• Lee CH
• Yoon MS

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to examine that COX-1, COX-2, p53 and VEGF expression are associated with prognostically worse pathological variables and to investigate whether the enhanced COX-2, tumor microvessel density and VEGF expression is showed in invasive cervical cancer.
METHODS
From January 1998 to December 2001, sixty-three cases of paraffin-embedded cervical specimens were obtained by surgical resection in the Pusan National University Hospital. All tissues were subjected to immunohistochemical staining for COX-1, COX-2, p53, VEGF and microvessel density. Clinical factors such as age, FIGO stage and pelvic lymph node metastasis were evaluated.
RESULTS
In COX-1 expression, no staining and cells staining positive less than 10% were 49, 13 cases, respectively. In contrast, COX-2 expressions was demonstrated in the cells staining positive 10% to 50% and greater than 50% were 25, 17 cases, respectively. The positivities of p53 and VEGF were 68.3% (43/63), 77.8% (49/63), respectively. There was a significant correlation between COX-2 and VEGF expression (p<0.05) in cervical cancer. Also the relationship existed between VEGF and microvessel count. But there was no correlation between COX-2, microvessel count and clinicopathologic factors in cervical cancer.
CONCLUSION
These findings provide evidence that the expression of COX-2 and VEGF may be involved in the promotion of angiogenesis in cervical cancer.

Keyword

COX-1; COX-2; VEGF; Cervical cancer

MeSH Terms

Busan
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell*
Cervix Uteri*
Female
Lymph Nodes
Microvessels
Neoplasm Metastasis
Uterine Cervical Neoplasms
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A