COX-2 Expression and Tumor Angiogenesis in Thyroid Carcinoma Patients among Northeast Chinese Population-Result of a Single-Center Study

OBJECTIVE Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), one of the rate-limiting enzymes in the metabolism of arachidonic acid which is reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of many human tumors. As well, Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is well known to be involved in the infiltration and metastasis of many kinds of cancers. The aim of this study was to further elucidate the clinicopathologic significance of the immunohistochemical expressions of COX-2 and VEGF in thyroid carcinoma. METHODS Eighty-five patients with thyroid neoplasms were enrolled in our study from December 2003 to January 2010 from the authors' institution retrospectively. Their tumors were examined in the Department of Pathology, the First Bethune Hospital of Jilin University. Immunohistochemistry was performed on paraffin-embedded tissues sections using monoclonal anti-human COX-2 and VEGF antibodies. The tissues were classified into four types: papillary, follicular, medullary and undifferentiated. The patients ranged in age from 23 to 71 years. Breast cancer slides acted as control slides. The immunohistochemical stains were quantified by staining intensity and by the proportion of positively stained cells which were stained brown or yellow. RESULTS The results were analysed by χ(2) test. COX-2 and VEGF expressions were stronger in thyroid carcinoma than in thyroid adenomas and normal tissues (P<0.01). COX-2 and VEGF expressions in thyroid carcinoma correlated with the tumor type and TNM stage. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that expression of COX-2 and VEGF may promote angiogenesis of thyroid carcinoma, its infiltration, and metastasis.