Cyclooxygenase-2 and gastric carcinogenesis

APMIS. 2003 Oct;111(10):915-25. doi: 10.1034/j.1600-0463.2003.1111001.x.

Abstract

Epidemiological studies have shown that the use of nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is associated with reduced risk of gastric cancer. The best-known target of NSAIDs is the cyclooxygenase (Cox) enzyme. Two Cox genes have been cloned, of which Cox-2 has been connected with gastric carcinogenesis. Expression of Cox-2 is elevated in gastric adenocarcinomas, which correlates with several clinicopathological parameters, including depth of invasion and lymph node metastasis. This suggests that Cox-2-derived prostanoids promote aggressive behavior of adenocarcinomas of the stomach. Cox-2 expression is especially prominent in intestinal-type gastric carcinoma and it is already present in dysplastic precursor lesions of this disease, which suggests that Cox-2 contributes to gastric carcinogenesis already at the preinvasive stage. Our most recent data show that Cox-2 is expressed in gastric adenomas of trefoil factor 1 deficient mice. Treatment of these mice with a Cox-2 selective inhibitor, celecoxib, reduced the size of the adenomas. Taken together these data support efforts to initiate clinical studies to investigate the effect of Cox-2 inhibitors as chemotherapeutic agents and as adjuvant treatment modalities against gastric neoplasias.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / drug therapy
  • Adenocarcinoma / enzymology
  • Adenocarcinoma / genetics
  • Adenocarcinoma / pathology
  • Animals
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / therapeutic use
  • Cyclooxygenase 2
  • Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors
  • Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Gene Expression
  • Humans
  • Isoenzymes / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Isoenzymes / genetics
  • Isoenzymes / metabolism*
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Models, Biological
  • Peptides / deficiency
  • Peptides / genetics
  • Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / genetics
  • Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / metabolism*
  • Stomach Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Stomach Neoplasms / enzymology*
  • Stomach Neoplasms / genetics
  • Stomach Neoplasms / pathology
  • Trefoil Factor-1

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal
  • Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors
  • Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors
  • Isoenzymes
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Peptides
  • Tff1 protein, mouse
  • Trefoil Factor-1
  • Cyclooxygenase 2
  • PTGS2 protein, human
  • Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases