Expressin of cyclooxygenase-2 in patients with bladder carcinoma

Purpose: Cyclooxygenase-2 is considered to have an important role in the de velopment of metastasis in cancer due to angiogenesis function. The express ion of cyclooxygenase-2 was found to be up-regulated in colorectal carcinom a and other cancers. We investigated cyclooxygenase-l and 2 expressions in patients with bladder cancer, chronic cystitis and normal bladder. Materials and Methods: A total of 118 specimens were obtained from patients treated at Osaka City University Hospital for bladder cancer, including 10 with chronic cystitis and 8 with normal bladder tissue. Immunohistochemist ry, with affinity purified antibodies against human cyclooxygenase-1 and 2 that did not have cross-reactivity with each other? and reverse transcripta se polymerase chain reaction to study the messenger RNA expression were per formed. Results: Although no marked expression of cyclooxygenase-2 was observed in the normal bladder, it was slightly seen in infiltrative inflammatory cells of chronic cystitis, and a higher expression was found in cancer cells. Th e extent and intensity of immunoreactive cyclooxygenase-2 polypeptides in c ancer cells was statistically much greater than these in cells fi crm norma l bladder tissue. Moreover, correlation between cyclooxygenase-2 expression and tissue type. or progression of bladder cancer was observed. Cyclooxyge nase-2 expression was higher in grade 3 bladder cancer than in grade 1, and was higher in advanced than in early stage cancer. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that generated cyclooxygenase-2 in t he cells of patients with bladder cancer might be significant in the prolif eration of bladder malignant cells and development of invasions.