Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and its association with angiogenesis in renal cell carcinoma

Objective: To study the significance of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression and its association with angiogenesis in renal cell carcinoma. Methods: Immunohistochemical method was performed to detect COX-2 expression and mcirovessel density (MVD) in 34 cases of renal cell carcinonma and 15 peritumor normal tissues. Results: The positive expression rate of COX-2 was 76.47% in renal cell carcinoma and 13.33% in peritumor normal tissues ( P 0.01). No association between COX-2 expression and both pathological grades and clinical stages was found ( P 0.05). The MVD in COX-2 positive tumors was significantly higher than that in COX-2 negative tumors ( P 0.01), and there is a strong association between COX-2 expression and MVD ( r =0.75, P 0.01). Conclusion: Aberrant COX-2 expression may play an important role in the occurrence of renal cell carcinoma.