SCIENCE@home

The correlation between cyclooxygenase-2 expression and hepatocellular carcinogenesis.

Y. Sung,Sun‐young Hwang,Jin Oh Kim,H. Bae,Jung‐Chul Kim,M. Kim

Published 2004 in Molecules and Cells

ABSTRACT

Overexpression of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) is associated with tumorigenesis in a number of human cancers. Recently, COX-2 overexpression has also been reported in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), especially in well-differentiated HCC. However, doubt has been cast on these claims concerning HCC. Here we show by Western blot analysis that COX-2 protein level is higher in the adjacent chronic hepatitis liver than in the tumors themselves. We also show, by immunohistochemical staining, that the mean intensity of COX-2 expression in cirrhotic liver specimens is significantly higher than in normal livers and in moderately-differentiated HCC. In addition, the frequency and level of expression of COX-2 in poorly differentiated HCC was similar to that of well-differentiated HCC. Nevertheless all types of HCC expressed more COX-2 than normal livers, and immunofluorescence staining showed cytoplasmic expression of COX-2 in 7 out of 8 human hepatoma cell lines. Collectively, our data suggest that both chemoprevention and chemotherapy of HCC by COX-2 specific inhibitors should be considered. Our data also suggest that COX-2 may play a role in the advanced stages as well as early stages of hepatocarcinogenesis.

PUBLICATION RECORD

CITATION MAP

EXTRACTION MAP

CLAIMS

  • No claims are published for this paper.

CONCEPTS

  • No concepts are published for this paper.

REFERENCES

Showing 1-26 of 26 references · Page 1 of 1

CITED BY

Showing 1-49 of 49 citing papers · Page 1 of 1