Nose Fusako, Ichikawa Tsuwa, Fujiwara Mutsunori, Okayasu Isao
Department of Pathology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan.
Am J Clin Pathol. 2002 Apr;117(4):546-51. doi: 10.1309/9CCJ-XQ8P-PMFM-M65K.
To cast light on relations of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression to lymphocytic thyroiditis and thyroid tumorigenesis, protein levels were immunohistochemically assessed and compared with inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in a total of 181 cases: follicular adenoma, 23; well-differentiated papillary carcinoma, 85; poorly differentiated papillary carcinoma, 25; anaplastic carcinoma, 7; and follicular carcinoma, 41. In addition, 72 specimens of normal follicular epithelia and 36 of lymphocytic thyroiditis were used as control samples. Immunohistochemical results were confirmed in 2 cases each of normal thyroid, lymphocytic thyroiditis, and well-differentiated and poorly differentiated papillary carcinoma, by Western blotting assay. Stepwise increments in overexpression of COX-2 and iNOS were revealed in epithelial cells of lymphocytic thyroiditis, follicular adenoma, and papillary carcinoma; normal thyroid epithelium showed little expression. A significant positive correlation between the 2 enzymes was found with all cases. Enhanced expression of both COX-2 and iNOS suggests important roles in the inflammatory processes underlying lymphocytic thyroiditis and thyroid tumorigenesis.
为了阐明环氧化酶-2（COX-2）表达与淋巴细胞性甲状腺炎及甲状腺肿瘤发生之间的关系，采用免疫组织化学方法评估了181例患者的蛋白水平，并与诱导型一氧化氮合酶（iNOS）进行比较，这些患者包括：滤泡性腺瘤23例、高分化乳头状癌85例、低分化乳头状癌25例、未分化癌7例以及滤泡癌41例。此外，72例正常滤泡上皮标本和36例淋巴细胞性甲状腺炎标本用作对照样本。通过蛋白质印迹分析，在正常甲状腺、淋巴细胞性甲状腺炎、高分化和低分化乳头状癌各2例中证实了免疫组织化学结果。在淋巴细胞性甲状腺炎、滤泡性腺瘤和乳头状癌的上皮细胞中，COX-2和iNOS的过表达呈逐步增加；正常甲状腺上皮表达很少。在所有病例中发现这两种酶之间存在显著正相关。COX-2和iNOS的表达增强表明它们在淋巴细胞性甲状腺炎和甲状腺肿瘤发生的炎症过程中起重要作用。
