Clinical significance of the expression of COX-2mRNA and microvessel density in colon carcinoma

Objective To study expressions of COX-2mRNA and microvessel density in colon carcinoma and their relationship among angiogenesis and pathologic character.Methods Expression of COX-2mRNA was evaluated by in situ hybridization method and expression of MVD was detected immunohistochemically by MaxvisionTM method by CD34 antigen in 62 cases of colon carcinoma, 22 cases of colon adenoma and 22 cases normal colon tissues.Results Expressions of COX-2mRNA were detected in a significantly greater proportion of colon carcinoma and adenoma samples than that normal colon tissues (74.19% vs 36.36% P=0.001; 72.73% vs 36.36% P=0.015). The expressions of MVD were detected in a significantly greater data of colon carcinoma samples than that adenoma and normal tissues of colon (P=0.000). In 62 cases colon carcinoma patients, the positive expression of COX-2mRNA with high differentiation group was significantly higher than that low differentiation group(χ2=4.215,P=0.040);the expressions of MVD in advanced carcinoma group were significantly greater than that in early carcinoma group(t=3.079,P=0.003);the expressions of MVD with lymphatic metastasis group and angiogenesis infiltration group were significantly higher than that no lymphatic metastasis group and no angiogenesis infiltration group(P=0.002;P=0.041);and the MVD was higher in COX-2mRNA positive group than that in COX-2mRNA negative group, but had no statistical correlationship(P0.05).Conclusions The detected of MVD may used to judge the clinical prognosis of colon carcinoma.COX-2 may play an important role in the cell proliferation and cell apoptosis, but may not directly correlate with angiogenesis in colon carcinoma.