Breast Cancer Cox-2 Expression And The Level Of Vegf-c And Lymphatic Metastasis-related Research

OBJECTIVE: lymphatic metastasis of breast cancer is one of the main means of transfer in breast cancer. COX-2 catalyses prostaglandin synthesis which has a variety of biological activity, its excessive expression enhances tumor cell invasion and metastasis, VEGF-C is a new member in VEGF family, which is an important factor in lymphangiogenes,it promote the proliferation of lymphangiogenes in breast cancer, the COX-2 and VEGF-C play important roles both in breast cancer metastasis.To explore the correlation of the expression of COX-2 and the level of serum VEGF-C with the lymphatic metastasis of breast cancer.METHOD: 1. The expression level of COX-2 was detected in cancer tissues, paracarcinoma breast tissues, normal breast tissues of 54 patients with breast cancer and benign tumor tissue of 30 patients with breast benign tumor by RT-PCR.2. The level of VEGF-C in the serum of the 54 patients with breast cancer, 30 patients of breast benign tumor and 30 cases of normal people was detected by ELISA.RESULTS: 1. the expression of COX-2 of the 42 cases breast cancer patients was increased in the 54 cases (78%), in the paracarcinoma breast tissues, it was increased in 7cases(13%), in normal breast tissues, it was no expression , and benign tumor tissue ,there was 3cases expression(9%).Compared with non-cancer tissues group, it was statistically increasing in cancer tissues group (P<0.05) , but there were no differences of COX-2 expression in the non-cancer tissues group (P>0.05). the expression level of COX-2 of the 17 cases I,II stages breast cancer patients was increased in the 38 cases (45%), in 16 cases III stages breast cancer patients, there were 10 cases patients increased(63%), Obvious difference of the expressions of COX-2 existed between the two groups (P<0.05) . the expression level of COX-2 of the 28 cases positive group of axillary lymphnode metastasis was increased in the 34 cases (82%), in 20 cases negtive group, there were 6 cases increased(30%). Obvious difference of the expressions of COX-2 existed between the two groups (P<0.05). there are positive correlation between COX-2 and lymphatic metastasis of breast cancer, r=0.426,suggesting that COX-2 may promote the lymphatic metastasis of breast cancer . However, there were no correlations with tumor histological type. 2. The level of VEGF-C in preoperative serum of patients with the breast cancer (6142.98 pg/ml)and 30 patients of breast benign tumor (5268.92 pg/ml) was significantly different(P<0.05), that obviously higher in positive groups of axillary lymphnode metastasis breast cancer (6369.27 pg/ml) than in positive group (5884.90 pg/ml) , Obvious difference of the level of VEGF-C existed between the two groups (P<0.01) . there are positive correlation between VEGF-C and lymphatic metastasis of breast cancer, r=0.716,suggesting that COX-2 may promote the lymphatic metastasis of breast cancer . the level of VEGF-C is 5346.87 pg/ml in preoperative serum of I,II stages breast cancer patients, in III stages breast cancer patients is 5962.13 pg/ml, it is obviously higher than former(P<0.05). However, the VEGF-C had no correlations with tumor histological type.3. the expression of COX-2 and VEGF-C was significantly increased in lymph node metastasis breast cancer than those without lymph node metastasis, there are positive correlation between COX-2 and VEGF-C in lymphatic metastasis breast cancer (r=0.629 P<0.01) . However, they had no correlations with tumor histological type.CONCLUSION: 1. The COX-2 and VEGF-C is closely related to transfer of the lymphaticmetastasis in breast cancer.2. The COX-2 and VEGF-C are positively correlated in the expression oflymphatic metastasis of breast cancer, the two maybe promote thelymphatic metastasis of breast cancer jointly.