Title:Variances in the Level of COX-2 and iNOS in Different Grades of Endometrial Cancer
Volume: 21
Issue: 1
Author(s): Marcin Oplawski*, Konrad Dziobek, Nikola Zmarzły, Beniamin O. Grabarek, Robert Kiełbasiński, Przemysław Kieszkowski, Piotr Januszyk, Karol Talkowski, Michał Schweizer, Piotr Kras, Andrzej Plewka and Dariusz Boroń
Affiliation:
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics with Gynecologic Oncology, Ludwik Rydygier Memorial Specialized Hospital, Kraków,Poland
Keywords:
Endometrial cancer, angiogenesis, COX-2, iNOS, neoplastic changes, molecular marker.
Abstract: Background: Many experimental studies have demonstrated the importance of COX-2 in
the tumor angiogenesis. Inducible iNOS is responsible for a high and stable level of nitric oxide and is
expressed in response to pro-inflammatory factors.
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of COX-2 and iNOS at the protein level
and to assess their potential prognostic significance in patients with endometrial cancer.
Methods: The study group consisted of 45 women with endometrial cancer divided according to the
degree of histological differentiation i.e. G1, 17; G2, 15; G3, 13. The control group consisted of 15
women without neoplastic changes. The expression of studied proteins was determined immunohistochemically
with specific polyclonal antibodies.
Results: Analysis of the COX-2 expression showed that the optical density of the reaction product in
G1 reached 186% in the control group, while the values in G2 and G3 reached 243% and 293%, respectively.
In the case of iNOS, the optical density of the reaction product reached the following percentages
in the control group: 147% in G1, 243% in G2, and 241% in G3.
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that changes in the expression of COX-2 and iNOS may be potentially
useful in predicting the progression of endometrial cancer and treatment effectiveness.
