Correlationship Between The Expression Of Cyclooxygenase-2 And Apoptosis In Hepatocelluar Carcinoma

ObjectiveTo study the protein expression of COX-2 and its relation to apoptosis in hepatocelluar carcinoma (HCC) and the adjacent tissues to HCC. To investigate the protein expression of caspase-3 and survivin in hepatocelluar carcinoma and its relation to apoptosis in different COX-2 expression situation.MethodsThe protein expression of COX-2, caspase-3 and survivin was detected by S-P immunohistochemical method, and cell apoptosis was examinated by TUNEL technique in tissue microarrays constructed with 44 cases of HCC and the adjacent tissues.Results1. The expression rates of COX-2 protein were 52.3 % and 28.2 % in HCC and adjacent tissues to HCC, respectively. The distribution of COX-2 immunostaining in HCC was diffuse, but focal in their adjacent normal tissues. It was of significant difference between HCC and their adjacent normal tissues (P < 0.01). There were no correlations between the expression of COX-2 and the clincopathological features of the tumor.2. The apoptosis index (AI) in HCC was 5.57±2.41%,which was negatively correlated with the expression of COX-2 (r =–0.354, P < 0.05).3. The positive rates of survivin were 75 % in HCC, which was significant higher than that in their adjacent liver tissues (P<0.01). The expression of survivin was positively correlated to TNM staging and tumor size (P < 0.01, P < 0.05) respectively, but negatively correlated to AI (r =–0.458,P < 0.01) . No correlations were found between the expression of surviving and patients age and tumor grade.4. The positive rates of caspase-3 in HCC and their adjacent normal tissues were 75.0 % and 95.0 %, respectively. It was of significant difference between HCC and their adjacent liverl tissues (P < 0.05). There were no correlations between the expression of caspase-3 and the clincopathological features of the tumor, but positively correlated with AI (r = 0.381, P < 0.05).5. There was a significantly positive correlation between the protein expression of COX-2 and survivin (r=0.394, P < 0.01), but a negative correlation between the protein of COX-2 and caspase-3 (r=–0.447, P < 0.01) in HCC. There was also significantly negative correlation between the protein expression of caspase-3 and survivin (P < 0.05) in HCC.Conclusion:1. The altered expression of COX-2 might play an important role in the tumorigenesis and progress of HCC.2. The anti-apoptosis effect of survivin might promote the volume increasing of HCC.3. The pro-apoptosis effect of caspase-3 and the anti-apoptosis of survivin may colaberate to regulating the cell apoptosis of HCC.4. The reverse expression between caspase-3 and survivin promotes the tumorgenesis and progress of HCC by redeucing malignant cells apoptosis. COX-2 might be participated this regulatory mechanism.5. It might be a hopeful way in the therapy of HCC with COX-2 inhibitor.