The Expression And Significance Of COX-2 In Human Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Objective: Esophageal cancer ranks among the 10 most common cancers worldwide. It is characterized by geographic differences in incidence,and China is one of the countries with the highest incidence and mortality. Recently epidemiologic and clinical investigations have shown that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) might decrease the occurrence and progression of human malignant tumors.The mechanism of the tumor-progressive function of COX-2 have been shown to be derived both from prostaglandins produced by COX-2 and an individual property of COX-2. COX -2 is an inducible gene that initially had been found to be induced by proinflammatory and mitogenic stimuli derived by cytokines and interleukins. However, the clinicopatholo-gic significance of COX-2 expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has been reported barely and diversely. So we analyzed COX-2 gene expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissue to confirm whether to have deletion of COX-2 gene expression in esophageal carcinoma tissue or not ,to investigate the significance of the expression of COX-2 gene in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and the normal esophageal tissues and to provide theoretical basis of prevention and genetic treatment of esophageal carcinoma.Methods: Randomly selected Specimens of ESCC were gathered from 60 patients who had been treated by esophageal resection, lymph node dissection, and reconstruction of the digestive tract in the Center Hospital of Jinan between 2002 and 2004.