VEGF and COX-2 Expression in Endometrial Carcinoma

Abstract

A AB BS ST TR RA AC CT T O Ob bj je ec ct ti iv ve e: : Angiogenesis is a major factor in the development of solid tumors, such as endometrial cancer. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) are important cytokines that stimulate angiogenesis in vivo. The aim of the current study was to determine VEGF and COX-2 expression in endometrial adenocarcinomas and to investigate the relationship between these parameters and clinicopathologic parameters. M Ma at te er ri ia al l a an nd d M Me et th ho od ds s: Sections obtained from paraffin-embedded tissues in archive material of 23 patients who were diagnosed with endometrial carcinoma were retrospectively evaluated. VEGF and COX-2 expression levels in tumor cells and surrounding stroma on the tumor samples were determined by immunohistochemistry. R Re es su ul lt ts s: : VEGF and COX-2 were expressed both in the cytoplasm of tumor cells and in the stromal cells, but in a lower degree. There was a significant positive correlation between VEGF expressions of cancer cells and the stroma (r= 0.705, p< 0.01). A negative correlation was found between histological grade of the tumor and VEGF expression of cancer cells (r= -0.622, p= 0.002). A negative correlation was determined between myometrial invasion of the tumor and COX-2 expression of cancer cells (r= -0.441, p= 0.035). C Co on nc cl lu us si io on n: : Both VEGF and COX-2 were expressed by both tumor cells and stromal cells in endometrial cancer. While VEGF expression showed a negative correlation with the tumor grade, COX-2 expression exhibited a negative correlation with the myometrial invasion of the tumor. No correlation was determined between their expressions and other clinicopathologic prognostic parameters.K Ke ey y W Wo or rd ds s: : Vascular endothelial growth factor A; cyclooxygenase-2; endometrial neoplasms; neovascularization, pathologic; immunohistochemistry Ö ÖZ ZE ET T A Am ma aç ç: : Anjiyogenez, endometriyal kanser gibi solid tümörlerin gelişiminde önemli bir faktördür. Vasküler endotelyal büyüme faktörü (VEGF) ve siklooksijenaz-2 (COX-2) in vivo ortamda anjiyogenezi uyaran önemli sitokinlerdir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, endometriyal adenokarsinomlarda VEGF ve COX-2 sunumlarının belirlenmesi ve bu parametrelerin klinikopatolojik parametrelerle ilişkisinin araştırılmasıdır. G Ge er re eç ç v ve e Y Yö ön nt te em ml le er r: : Endometriyal karsinom tanısı almış 23 hastaya ait arşiv materyalindeki parafine gömülü dokulardan alınan kesitler geriye dönük olarak değerlendirildi. Tümör örneklerinde tümör hücreleri ve çevreleyen stromal dokuda VEGF ve COX-2 sunum dü-zeyleri immünohistokimyasal olarak saptandı. B Bu ul lg gu ul la ar r: : VEGF ve COX-2'nin hem tümör hücrele-rinin sitoplazmasında hem de daha düşük derecede olmak üzere tümör stromasındaki hücrelerde sunulduğu görüldü. Kanser hücreleri ve stroma arasında VEGF sunumları açısından anlamlı bir pozitif ilişki vardı (r= 0,705, p< 0,01). Tümörün histolojik derecesi ve kanser hücrelerinin VEGF sunumu arasında negatif bir il...