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. 2004 Aug 1;10(15):2168-73.
doi: 10.3748/wjg.v10.i15.2168.

Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in human esophageal squamous cell carcinomas

Jian-Gang Jiang  1 , Jiang-Bo Tang, Chun-Lian Chen, Bao-Xing Liu, Xiang-Ning Fu, Zhi-Hui Zhu, Wei Qu, Katherine Cianflone, Michael-P Waalkes, Dao-Wen Wang
Affiliations

Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in human esophageal squamous cell carcinomas

Jian-Gang Jiang et al. World J Gastroenterol. .

Abstract

Aim: To determine whether cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was expressed in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Methods: Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), western blotting, immunohistoc-hemistry and immunofluorescence were used to assess the expression level of COX-2 in esophageal tissue.

Results: COX-2 mRNA levels were increased by >80-fold in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma when compared to adjacent noncancerous tissue. COX-2 protein was present in 21 of 30 cases of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissues, but was undetectable in noncancerous tissue. Immunohistochemistry was performed to directly show expression of COX-2 in tumor tissue.

Conclusion: These results suggest that COX-2 may be an important factor for esophageal cancer and inhibition of COX-2 may be helpful for prevention and possibly treatment of this cancer.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Semiquantitative result of RT-PCR analysis of COX-2 mRNA expression in squamous carcinoma tissues and matched normal tissues of the esophagus. A: Data are expressed as the fluorescence values of COX-2 band in tumor and nontumorous tissue samples from 30 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. B: Representative results of semiquantitative RT-PCR, indicated COX-2 mRNA was found in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma samples (T), while in surrounding normal tissue (N), COX-2 mRNA could not be detected. The coamplified GAPDH gene served as an internal control. PCR product sizes are 314 bp for COX-2 and 340 bp for GAPDH. M indicates DNA marker. The samples in lanes 1N and 1T, 2N and 2T, 3N and 3T, 4N and 4T are paired samples from 4 patients, respectively.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Western blot analysis of COX-2 in squamous carci-noma tissues and matched normal tissues of the esophagus. COX-2 expressions in representative tumor (T) and nontumorous (N) are shown. A: Data are expressed as the absorbency values of COX-2 band in tumor and nontumorous tissue samples from 30 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. B: Representative result of Western blot analysis. COX-2 protein was detected in tumor tissue but was undetect-able in nontumorous tissue in the same patients. β -actin was used as an internal control . The samples in lanes 1N and 1T, 2N and 2T, 3N and 3T, 4N and 4T are paired samples from 4 patients, respectively.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Correlation between western blot analysis and RT-PCR analysis results. The results showed that the expression of COX-2 in cancer tissues (western blot analysis) was highly cor-related with by RT-PCR analysis (r value = 0.708, P < 0.001).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Representative results of immunohistochemical analysis of COX-2 in squamous carcinoma tissues and matched normal tissues of the esophagus from the same patient (Magnification x200). In normal esophageal tissue there is no positive staining for COX-2 (A) but in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissue, carcinoma cells display a strong staining for COX-2, which indicate COX-2 expression specifically in cancer tissues (B).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Immunofluorescence analysis of COX-2 in squamous carcinoma tissues (Magnification, x400). A and B are from 2 different patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, Both display a strong green fluorescence staining for COX-2 in cancer-nests.
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