Depth of invasion parallels increased cyclooxygenase-2 levels in patients with gastric carcinoma

BACKGROUND. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may reduce the incidence o f intestinal carcinoma, presumably through inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 ( COX-2). The authors correlated tumor expression of COX-2 with clinicopathol ogic features in tissues from patients with gastric carcinoma. METHODS. Thirty-three surgical specimens, including carcinomas and correspo nding noncancerous mucosa, were sampled. Reverse transcription-polymerase c hain reaction analysis was performed concomitantly for COS-1 and COX-2. A C OS-2 index was determined from the band density ratio of COX-2 to constitut ively expressed COX-1. Immunohistochemical; staining with COX-2 antibody an d routine histologic assessment were performed in the same specimens. RESULTS. The COX-2 index in gastric carcinoma was significantly higher than in normal mucosa (3.4 +/- 0.7 vs. 2.2 +/- 0.7; P < 0.05). COS-2 indices we re significantly higher in gastric carcinoma tissues with deep invasion; in dices for pT1, pT2, pT3, and pT4 carcinomas were 0.8 <plus/minus> 0.31 2.8 +/- 0.5, 4.3 +/- 1.0, and 8.8 +/- 5.5, respectively (P < 0.05). Immunohisto chemistry demonstrated COS-2 protein diffusely in the cytoplasm of tumor ce lls hut not in surrounding stroma or in noncancerous mucosa. CONCLUSIONS, COX-2 mRNA expression in gastric carcinoma tissue is correlate d closely with depth of invasion, indicating that COX-2 is involved in the growth of gastric carcinoma. <(c)> 2001 American Cancer Society.