AIM: To perform a comparative analysis of clinicopathological correlations of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in pancreatic cancer, examined by monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. METHODS: The COX-2 expression in 85 resection specimens of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma was immunohistochemically examined using both monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. The final immunoscores were obtained by multiplying the percentage of positive cells with the numeric score reflecting the staining intensity. COX-2 expression levels were classified into three categories (0, 1+, and 2+) and the clinicopathological correlations were statistically evaluated and analyzed. RESULTS: The positive tumor expression rates of COX-2 were 80.5% using monoclonal antibody and 69.4% using polyclonal antibody. In the Kaplan-Meier analysis, no significant correlations were found between levels of COX-2 expression and overall survival (OS), but trends to longer OS were found in COX-2 negative cases using monoclonal antibody. Significantly longer disease free survival was revealed in COX-2 negative cases using monoclonal antibody (P = 0.019). No correlations between COX-2 expression levels and grade (G), tumor (T) status and nodal (N) status were demonstrated. Low histological grade showed a strong association with a longer OS (P < 0.001). Correlation of survival and T status revealed a shorter OS in T3 tumors, but the results reached only marginal statistical significance (P = 0.070). In the multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model, histological grade, T and N status remained valuable predictors of a worse survival with borderline significance for T [hazards ratio (HR) = 4.18 for G (if G = 3, P < 0.001); HR = 1.64 for T (if T = 3, P = 0.065); HR = 2.53 for N (if N = 1, P = 0.006)]. Higher grade, T or N status was associated with a worse OS. CONCLUSION: The immunohistochemically assessed level of COX-2 expression does not seem to represent a valuable independent prognostic factor and is not superior to the conventional prognostic factors.

• Klíčová slova
• Cyclooxygenase-2, Immunohistochemistry, Monoclonal antibody, Pancreatic cancer, Polyclonal antibody,
• MeSH
• cyklooxygenasa 2 biosyntéza   MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• imunohistochemie metody   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• monoklonální protilátky metabolismus   MeSH
• nádory slinivky břišní enzymologie   chirurgie   MeSH
• prognóza MeSH
• proporcionální rizikové modely MeSH
• regulace genové exprese enzymů * MeSH
• regulace genové exprese u nádorů * MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• vývody pankreatu enzymologie   patologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• srovnávací studie MeSH
• Názvy látek
• cyklooxygenasa 2 MeSH
• monoklonální protilátky MeSH