Korean J Endocr Surg.  2002 Dec;2(2):90-96. 10.16956/kjes.2002.2.2.90.

Increased Expression of Cyclooxygenase-2 Protein in Human Thyroid Tumor

• Lee KJ
• Park HB
• Kim JH
• Jeong YS
• Joo HJ
• Soh EY

• KMID: 2376170
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.16956/kjes.2002.2.2.90

Abstract

PURPOSE
Thyroid tumor is one of the most common endocrine tumors, and yet little is known about its molecular process of development and progression. Cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, the inducible form of the COX enzyme for prostaglandin synthesis, is up-regulated in gastrointestinal cancers and is a key mediator of epithelial cell growth. Regular intake of aspirin or other nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is associated with a decreased incidence of colorectal, esophageal, gastric, and lung cancer. We sought to determine the involvement of COX-2 in human thyroid cancer.
METHODS
COX-2 protein was assayed in thyroid tissue of 64 which were inflammatory disease and benign tumor and malignant tumor with or without metastasis patients by using immunohistochemistry and Western Blot analysis.
RESULTS
COX-2 protein was not expressed in normal thyroid tissue. But COX-2 protein was expressed strongly in inflammatory tissue. Expression of COX-2 was very high in both benign and malignant tumor. There is no difference in pathology and malignant potential or existence of metastasis.
CONCLUSION
There was no correlation between clinicopathological characteristics of thyroid tumor and intensity of COX-2 protein expression. In addition, there was no difference of expression of COX-2 between inflammatory thyroid disease and thyroid tumor. This study indicates that COX-2 protein over expression may contribute to an early event of gastric cancer development, and it further suggests that selective inhibition of COX-2 may provide a chemopreventive effect against thyroid cancer.

Keyword

Thyroid tumor; Cyclooxygenase (COX)-1; COX-2

MeSH Terms

Aspirin
Blotting, Western
Cyclooxygenase 2*
Epithelial Cells
Gastrointestinal Neoplasms
Humans*
Immunohistochemistry
Incidence
Lung Neoplasms
Neoplasm Metastasis
Pathology
Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases
Stomach Neoplasms
Thyroid Diseases
Thyroid Gland*
Thyroid Neoplasms
Aspirin
Cyclooxygenase 2
Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases