Korean J Hepatobiliary Pancreat Surg.  2003 Jun;7(1):102-107.

Cyclooxygenase-2 Expression in Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma

• Hahn KY
• Hong SW
• Kang YK
• Heo TG
• Chang YG
• Paik IW
• Lee H

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 levels are elevated in several types of human cancer tissues. COX-2 is not constitutively expressed by most normal tissues, but it is rapidly induced by certain inflammatory cytokines, tumor promoters, growth factors and oncogenes. Inflammation is important risk factor for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Therefore, this study was aimed to evaluate the role of COX-2 in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma development.
METHODS
18 intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma patients was conducted in this study. COX-2 expression was investigated by immunohistochemical staining in resected liver specimen that involved 47 hyperplasia, 30 low-grade dysplasia, 38 high- grade dysplasia and 18 cancer. The relationship of clinicopathological factor and COX-2 expression of cancer was evaluated.
RESULTS
COX-2 expression was not observed in normal bile duct epithelium. COX-2 expression in high-gade dysplasia was higher than in low-grade dysplasia. COX-2 expression in cancer was higher than in hyperplasia, low-grade and high grade dysplasia. There was no significant correlation between clinicopathological factors and COX-2 expression in cancer.
CONCLUSION
These findings suggest that COX-2 may play a role in the early and late carcinogensis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Keyword

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma; Cyclooxygenase-2; Carcinogenesis

MeSH Terms

Bile Ducts
Carcinogenesis
Carcinogens
Cholangiocarcinoma*
Cyclooxygenase 2*
Cytokines
Epithelium
Humans
Hyperplasia
Inflammation
Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
Liver
Oncogenes
Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases
Risk Factors
Carcinogens
Cyclooxygenase 2
Cytokines
Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases