Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in astrocytic tumours and its clinical significance

[Objective] To investigate the relationship between cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2) and occurrence and development of astrocytic tumours. [Methods] Immunohistochemistry technique and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique were adopted to examine the levels of expression of COX-2 protein and mRNA in astrocytic tumours and non-tumour tissues. [Results] The expression of COX-2 protein in each group by immunohistochemical staining (IODA) was: non-tumour tissues(2.19±0.88), astrocytic tumours(6.38±3.68), pilocytic astrocytoma (3.54±1.29), diffuse astrocytoma(5.58±2.78), anaplastic astrocytoma(6.88±2.70), glioblastoma(9.19±4.62); the rate of positive expression of COX-2 mRNA was: non-tumour tissues(33.3%), astrocytic tumours(83.3%); the relative content of COX-2 mRNA was: non-tumour tissues(43.49±19.73), astrocytic tumours(119.67±46.56); the expression of COX-2 in astrocytic tumours was significantly highter than in non-tumour tissues(P 0.05). [Conclusions] The over-expression of COX-2 has close relation with occurrence and development of astrocytic tumours; Pilocytic astrocytoma is different from other astrocytic tumours in change of gene in biology and morphology; COX-2 has complicated action in the course of organ growth and maintaining normal physiological function besides COX-2 joins the pathological courses of tumourigenesis and inflammatory occurrence etc.