Background & objective: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduced the incidence of gastrointestinal neoplasms with inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). This study was designed to investigate the expression and significance of COX-2 and the relationship between COX-2 and bcl-2 in human pancreatic carcinoma.
Methods: COX-2 and bcl-2 expression was determined with ABC immunohistochemical analysis in the samples of pancreatic carcinoma.
Results: COX-2 and bcl-2 proteins were found in 22 of 30 (73.3%) and 20 of 30 (66.7%) patients with pancreatic carcinoma, which were higher than those with pancreatic benign disease and normal pancreas,respectively (P< 0.05). There was positive correlation between the expression rates of COX-2 and bcl-2 in pancreatic carcinoma. The correlation coefficient was 0.470 (P< 0.01). There was no significant difference in expression rates of COX-2 in patients among age, sex, tumor location, tumor size, histological degree, and TNM staging (P >0.05).
Conclusion: COX-2 protein is overexpressed in human pancreatic carcinoma. The co-expression of COX-2 and bcl-2 might play an important role in the regulation of apoptosis of pancreatic carcinoma cells.