Cyclooxygenase-2 expression and its association with vascular endothelial growth factor, microvessel density and clinicopathologic characteristics of colorectal carcinoma

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of cyclooxygenase type-2 (COX-2) and its association with angiogenesis and clinicopathologic characteristics of colorectal carcinoma (CRC). COX-2 expression was detected by means of immunohistochemistry in a series of human tissue samples with CRC (n = 120), dysplasia tissue closely adjacent to carcinomas (n = 40) and normal colorectal mucosa (n = 40), and their expressions association with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), CD31-labeled micorvessel density (MVD) in CRC and other clinicopathologic characteristics were investigated. The expression of COX-2 in CRC tissues (78.3%) was obviously higher than that in adjacent tissue and normal mucosal tissue (p<0.01). COX-2 expression was correlated significantly with the grading, advanced cancer, Dukes stage and lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis and VEGF (p<0.05). Our result demonstrates that COX-2 expression was significantly higher in earlier stages of CRC. It can be suggested that COX-2 expression may be important in the initial development of CRC. The findings of the present study suggest that COX-2 overexpression in CRC may be considered as a negative prognostic marker.