Morinaga Soichiro, Yamamoto Yuji, Noguchi Yoshikazu, Imada Toshio, Rino Yasushi, Akaike Makoto, Sugimasa Yukio, Takemiya Shoji, Kameda Yoichi, Takanashi Yoshinori
Department of Surgery, Yokohama City Kowan Hospital, Yokohama, Japan.
J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2002 Oct;17(10):1110-6. doi: 10.1046/j.1440-1746.2002.02836.x.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unique in that its carcinogenesis is related to inflammatory changes and regenerative activities in the background liver. Although there are some data on cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression in HCC by immunohistochemical studies, little is known about the possible role of COX-2 in inducing hepatitis and/or carcinoma. To elucidate whether COX-2 is involved in a part of these processes, we attempted to examine COX-2 mRNA both in the adjacent non-tumoral liver and in HCC.
Twenty-two matched sets of adjacent liver and HCC specimens were analyzed for COX-2 mRNA expression using a real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Cyclooxygenase-2 protein expression was also determined by immunohistochemistry.
Cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA expression was significantly higher in the adjacent liver than in HCC (P = 0.016). Cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA expression in adjacent liver tissues was positively correlated with the modified histological activity index scores (r = 0.575, P = 0.006), the serum alanine aminotransferase levels (r = 0.536, P = 0.010), and the Ki-67 labeling indices (r = 0.698, P = 0.001). In contrast, COX-2 mRNA expression in HCC was not correlated with any of the clinicopathological features.
Cyclooxygenase-2 is expressed at higher levels in the adjacent liver than in HCC, and it may be associated with high levels of necroinflammation and regeneration in the background liver. Conversely, COX-2 may have a lesser role in the progression of HCC.
肝细胞癌（HCC）的独特之处在于其致癌作用与肝脏背景中的炎症变化和再生活动有关。尽管免疫组织化学研究已有一些关于HCC中环氧化酶（COX）-2表达的数据，但对于COX-2在诱导肝炎和/或癌症中可能发挥的作用知之甚少。为了阐明COX-2是否参与了这些过程的一部分，我们试图检测邻近非肿瘤性肝脏组织和HCC中COX-2 mRNA的表达情况。
使用实时定量逆转录聚合酶链反应分析22对匹配的邻近肝脏组织和HCC标本中COX-2 mRNA的表达。还通过免疫组织化学法测定COX-2蛋白的表达。
COX-2 mRNA在邻近肝脏组织中的表达显著高于HCC（P = 0.016）。邻近肝脏组织中COX-2 mRNA的表达与改良组织学活动指数评分呈正相关（r = 0.575，P = 0.006），与血清丙氨酸氨基转移酶水平呈正相关（r = 0.536，P = 0.010），与Ki-67标记指数呈正相关（r = 0.698，P = 0.001）。相比之下，HCC中COX-2 mRNA的表达与任何临床病理特征均无相关性。
COX-2在邻近肝脏组织中的表达水平高于HCC，它可能与肝脏背景中的高水平坏死性炎症和再生有关。相反，COX-2在HCC进展中可能起较小作用。
