Oesophageal squamous cell neoplasia in head and neck cancer patients: upregulation of COX-2 during carcinogenesis.

ABSTRACT: Patients with (previous) head and neck cancer (HNC) are at high risk for developing second squamous cell cancer of the oesophagus. The role of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in oesophageal squamous carcinogenesis has not yet been investigated in this high-risk group. Therefore, this study examined COX-2 mRNA and protein expression in oesophageal biopsies and resected tissues of 44 HNC patients. The evaluation covered 55 oesophageal tissue samples (18 invasive oesophageal squamous cell cancers, four high- and eight low-grade dysplasias, 25 normal squamous epithelia) from the 44 patients. mRNA levels of COX-2 were measured by real-time PCR using a LightCycler. COX-2 protein expression was studied immunohistochemically and graded by a staining score. COX-2 mRNA was detected in all samples, and its

SUBMITTER: Maaser K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2747557 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature