Expression of COX-2, survivin in regional lymph node metastases of gastric carcinoma and the correlation with prognosis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Little is known about the expression and significance of the proteins in regional lymph node metastases (LNMs) of gastric carcinoma (GC). In present study we intend to evaluate the expression of COX-2 and Survivin in primary tumors (PT) and LNMs of GC, keeping track of the correlation between the clinicopathologic factors, the tumor angiogenesis, patients' survival and prognosis.

METHODOLOGY

Surgical specimens were obtained and paired from 65 patients with advanced GC. The gastric operational pieces have been examined with usual histological, histochemical and immunohistochemical staining. Then relationship and significance of these data were analyzed.

RESULTS

Expression of COX-2 was higher in LNMs than that in PT p < 0.05 with positive correlativity of COX-2 between PT and LNMs p < 0.01 and positive correlativity also existed between COX-2 and Survivin in PT p < 0.01. The patients with strong expression of COX-2 had lower cumulative survival rate than those with weaker COX-2 expressed (p < 0.01). In LNMs, strong expression of COX-2 was an independent prognostic factor for GC in PT and LNMs while strong expression of Survivin was not that case.

CONCLUSIONS

The expression of COX-2 in PT and LNMs explained for the heterogeneity of GC and it has a tight correlation with GC cell's apoptosis. Strong expression of COX-2 in LNMs was associated with poor prognosis for patients with GC.