Cyclooxygenase-2 Expression and Its Prognostic Significance in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

• Published in: Journal of pathology and translational medicine Vol. 46; no. 3; pp. 237 - 245
• Main Authors: Lee, Ji Won, Park, Jeong Hwan, Suh, Ja Hee, Nam, Kyung Han, Choe, Ji-Young, Jung, Hae Yoen, Chae, Ji Yoen, Moon, Kyung Chul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Society of Pathologists, Korean Society for Cytopathology 01.06.2012; The Korean Society of Pathologists and The Korean Society for Cytopathology; 대한병리학회
• Subjects: Cancer; Cell culture; Kinases; Original; Studies; 병리학; Carcinoma, renal cell; Cyclooxygenase 2; Prognosis
• ISSN: 1738-1843; 2383-7837; 2092-8920; 2092-8920; 2383-7845
• DOI: 10.4132/KoreanJPathol.2012.46.3.237

The prognostic value of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in human renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains unclear. The purposes of this study are to elucidate the clinical significance of COX-2 in clear cell RCC (CCRCC) and to assess the treatment effect of COX-2 inhibition on CCRCC cell lines. Using tumor samples obtained from 137 patients who had undergone nephrectomy at Seoul National University Hospital, we evaluated COX-2 expression on immunohistochemistry. Moreover, we performed the cell proliferation assay using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and cell invasion assay. Thus, we evaluated the effect of meloxicam, an inhibitor of COX-2, in two human CCRCC cell lines. Cancer-specific survival (p=0.038) and progression-free survival (p=0.031) were shorter in the COX-2 high expression group. A multivariate logistic regression model showed that COX-2 expression was an independent risk factor for pTNM stage and Fuhrman nuclear grade. The MTT assay revealed that COX-2 inhibition led to the suppression of the proliferation of CCRCC cell lines. Moreover, it also reduced their invasion capacity. This study postulates that COX-2 is a poor prognostic indicator in human CCRCC, suggesting that COX-2 inhibition can be a potential therapy in CCRCC.