Cyclooxygenase-2 expression is up-regulated in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

TLDR

The study aimed to determine whether cyclooxygenase‑2 (COX‑2) is overexpressed in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. COX‑2 expression was quantified in head‑and‑neck tissues using quantitative reverse‑transcription PCR, immunoblotting, and immunohistochemistry. COX‑2 mRNA was elevated nearly 150‑fold in HNSCC and about 50‑fold in adjacent normal epithelium, COX‑2 protein was detected in all HNSCC cases but not in normal mucosa, and immunohistochemistry confirmed expression in both tumor and adjacent tissue, indicating COX‑2 as a potential therapeutic target.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was overexpressed in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC). Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR, immunoblotting, and immunohistochemistry were used to assess the expression of COX-2 in head and neck tissue. Mean levels of COX-2 mRNA were increased by nearly 150-fold in HNSCC (n = 24) compared with normal oral mucosa from healthy volunteers (n = 17). Additionally, there was about a 50-fold increase in amounts of COX-2 mRNA in normal-appearing epithelium adjacent to HNSCC (n = 10) compared with normal oral mucosa from healthy volunteers. Immunoblotting demonstrated that COX-2 protein was present in six of six cases of HNSCC but was undetectable in normal oral mucosa from healthy subjects. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that COX-2 was expressed in both HNSCC and adjacent normal-appearing epithelium. Taken together, these results suggest that COX-2 may be a target for the prevention or treatment of HNSCC.