Immunohistochemical expression of Cyclooxygenase-2 in colorectal carcinoma and its association with clinicopathological parameters

Abstract

Background and objective: Inflammatory process and genetic factors play a key role in neoplasia of colorectal cancer. Cyclooxygenase-2 is involved in a variety of important cellular functions, including cell growth and differentiation, cancer cell motility and invasion, angiogenesis, and immune functions. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of cyclooxygenase-2 in colorectal cancer and its correlations with different clinicopathological parameters. Methods: A study carried out in the Department of Pathology in Rizgary Teaching Hospital and private laboratories in Erbil city from May 2015 to February 2016. Eighty formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens of colorectal cancers were collected. The clinicopathological data was collected by the researcher from records of known cases of colorectal carcinoma in Erbil city and was done in a private laboratory in Dohuk city. Results: High cyclooxygenase-2 expression was represented by 63.8% of colorectal carcinoma patients, and low expression was represented by 36.2% of them. There was a significant association between the mucinous subtype of colorectal carcinoma and low cyclooxygenase-2 expression (P = 0.01). A significant association was observed between moderately differentiated carcinoma and high cyclooxygenase-2 expression (P = 0.04). A significant association was also noted between increased tumor size and high cyclooxygenase-2 expression (P = 0.03). Conclusion: Cyclooxygenase-2 expression is more likely to be prevalent among colorectal carcinoma patients and is correlated to tumor subtypes (low in mucinous subtypes), grade (high in moderately differentiated), and tumor size (high in the big sized tumor).

Keywords

• cylooxygenase-2
• colorectal carcinoma
• immunohistochemistry
• histopathology