Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and its relation to histological grade, inducible nitric oxide synthase, matrix metalloproteinase-2, CD-34, Caspase-3, and CD8 in invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast

ABSTRACT

To assess by immunohistochemistry the cyclooxygenase-2 [COX-2] expression in invasive ductal carcinoma and its possible correlation with the histological grade, inducible nitric oxide synthase [iNOS], matrix metalloproteinase-2 [MMP2], and other common immunohistochemical parameters [CD-34, Caspase-3, and CD8]. This was a retrospective pathology archive study including 50 female patients and was performed in Mustafa Kemal University, Hatay, and Sutcu Imam University, Kahraman Maras, Turkey. The routine hematoxylin-eosin staining and COX-2, iNOS, MMP-2, CD-34, CASP-3, and CD8 immunoperoxidase techniques were performed on paraffin-embedded tissues. The mean value of COX-2 was 274.02 +/- 54.49 and MMP-2 was 263.42 +/- 54.30, whereas the mean iNOS values were 258.10 +/- 56.05. CD-34 staining also yielded positive results as 26.18 +/- 8.00. The mean value of CASP-3 was 284.06 +/- 41.2 and CD8 was 164.17 +/- 69.5. This reveals an inverse correlation between CASP-S reactivity and CD8 [Spearman correlation [r]= -0.33, p=0.01]. There was also an inverse correlation between iNOS reactivity and patients age [r = -0.29, p=0.013]. There was a positive correlation with COX-2 and MMP-2 [p=0.00], but there was no relation with COX-2 and other parameters. COX-2 expression is an important parameter for invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast. We found a positive correlation between COX-2 and MMP-2, whereas, we could not show direct correlation between COX-2 and iNOS, CD-34, CASP-3, and CD8