Y. Hosomi et al., Increased cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) expression occurs frequently in precursor lesions of human adenocarcinoma of the lung, LUNG CANC, 30(2), 2000, pp. 73-81
A low incidence of lung carcinoma has been reported in cases of prolonged u
se of aspirin. Cyclooxygenase (COX) expression is frequently seen in adenoc
arcinoma of the lung, but COX-2 expression in atypical adenomatous hyperpla
sia (AAH), a possible precursor lesion of adenocarcinoma of the lung, is no
t known. COX-2 expression was immunohistochemically evaluated in a cohort o
f 20 cuboidal cell hyperplasias (CCH), 81 atypical adenomatous hyperplasias
(AAH), 18 bronchioloalveolar carcinomas (BAC), and 88 invasive adenocarcin
omas (I-Ad). The relationship between COX-2 expression and clinicopathologi
c factors and survival was examined. COX-2 overexpression was detected in o
ver 80% of CCH, AAH, BAC, and I-Ad. However. overexpression was diffuse in
AAH (71.6%) and BAC (66.7%). No relationship was found between COX-2 expres
sion and clinicopathological factors or survival. COX-2 expression was most
frequently detected in AAH. These findings, taken with previous reports th
at treatment with COX-2 inhibitor suppresses human colon carcinogenesis, su
ggest that inhibition of COX-2 may reduce the incidence of human adenocarci
noma of the lung. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserve
d.