ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS: To demonstrate immunohistochemical expression of COX-2 protein in Dukes B colon cancer and to establish a correlation with clinicopathological parameters such as: age, gender, gradus, presence of vascular invasion and patient's overall survival. METHODOLOGY: We performed immunohistochemical analysis of formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded specimens form 152 Dukes B colon carcinomas, using the COX-2 monoclonal antibody. Immunohistochemical results were scored semi-quantitatively. Carcinomas were graded as low or high grade. Survival time was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method, and the log-rank test was used to assess the differences between groups. For multivariate analysis, Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to examine several parameters simultaneously. RESULTS: Univariate analysis showed that positive staining for COX-2, high histological grade; vascular invasion; male gender and age over 60 years, were connected with shorter survival of patients with Dukes B colon cancer (0.023< p<0.001). However, multivariate analysis have shown that the high COX-2 expression in Duke's B colon cancer was unrelated to overall patient survival (RR=1.4; p=0.311). CONCLUSION: Expression of COX-2 in tumor epithelial cells does not seem to be related to survival in patients with colon cancer Dukes B.
Subject(s)
Colonic Neoplasms/enzymology , Cyclooxygenase 2/analysis , Adult , Aged , Colonic Neoplasms/mortality , Female , Humans , Immunohistochemistry , Male , Middle Aged , Proportional Hazards ModelsABSTRACT
AIM: To demonstrate immunohistochemical expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) protein in Duke's B colon cancer and determine its correlation with age, sex, grade, presence of vascular invasion, and patients' overall survival. METHOD: The study took place from January 1995 to December 1997. We determined the expression of MMP-2 in 152 formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded specimens of Duke's B colon carcinomas by immunohistochemical analysis using MMP-2 monoclonal antibody. Immunohistochemical expression was scored semiquantitatively. Carcinomas were graded as low or high grade. Survival time was analyzed with Kaplan-Meier method, and the log-rank test was used to assess the differences between groups. Cox proportional hazard regression model was used for multivariate survival analysis. RESULT: Univariate analysis showed that positive staining for MMP-2, high histological grade, vascular invasion, male sex, and age>60 years were associated with shorter survival in patients with Duke's B colon cancer (P range from 0.023 to <0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that only MMP-2 overexpression (P<0.001; hazard ratio [HR]=3.64) and vascular invasion (P<0.001; HR=4.27) were associated with shorter overall survival. CONCLUSION: Expression of MMP-2 is an important independent indicator of shorter survival in patients with Duke's B colon cancer and should be taken into consideration in decision-making on the use of adjuvant systemic therapy in patients with Duke's B colon cancer.
