Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in cervical, endometrial, and ovarian malignancies

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to compare the presence of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) levels between normal and malignant cervix, endometrium, and ovary. STUDY DESIGN: Semiquantitative immunofluorescent assays for COX-2 were performed on sections of cervical squamous cell carcinoma (n = 12), endometrial adenocarcinoma (n = 13), and ovarian serous adenocarcinoma (n = 9). Levels of immunofluorescence for each sample were objectively measured, categorized as high, moderate, or negative expression and compared with normal cervical (n = 14), endometrial (n = 15), and ovarian (n = 13) tissue with the Fisher exact test. RESULTS: Normal cervical tissue expressed COX-2 more frequently than cervical cancer (50% vs 23%), but the difference was not significant (P = .247). COX-2 was rarely present in normal endometrium (7%) and normal ovarian epithelium (0%) and was usually present in endometrial adenocarcinoma (69%, P < .001) and ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma (89%, P < .001). CONCLUSION: In this cohort, COX-2 expression is significantly more common in endometrial adenocarcinoma and ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma, but not in cervical squamous carcinoma, compared with normal tissue.