Ovarian Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Ovarian Cancer, including details on symptoms, causes, treatment, information.

Cytoplasmic HuR expression correlates with epithelial cancer cell but not with stromal cell cyclooxygenase-2 expression in mucinous ovarian carcinoma.

Erkinheimo TL, Sivula A, Lassus H, Heinonen M, Furneaux H, Haglund C, Butzow R, Ristimäki A

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. tiina-liisa.erkinheimo@helsinki.fi

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression has been found to associate with poor prognosis in several types of carcinomas. HuR is an mRNA stability protein and it regulates the expression of COX-2. OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: We analyzed the expression of COX-2 and HuR in 64 mucinous ovarian carcinoma specimens by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: In mucinous tumors, high COX-2 protein expression was found in epithelial cancer cells in 39% (22/56) and in stromal cells in 24% (13/55) of the specimens. The expression of COX-2 in cancer cells correlated with high grade (P = 0.0285), but stromal COX-2 expression had no correlation with any clinical parameter tested. Cytoplasmic HuR protein expression was observed in cancer cells in 47% (27/57) and in stromal cells in 7% (4/56) of the mucinous tumors, and it correlated with COX-2 expression in the cancer cells (P = 0.0162) but not in the stroma. CONCLUSION: Our results support the hypothesis that cytoplasmic HuR is connected to COX-2 expression in ovarian carcinoma, but that its role is restricted to the transformed epithelial cancer cells.

Published 26 September 2005 in Gynecol Oncol, 99(1): 14-9.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Ovarian Cancer Research Today. All Rights Reserved.