Abstract:
Objective: To explore the putative role of CD40and COX-2 expression in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and to analyze their possible relationship with angiogenesis in ESCC.Methods: The expression of CD 40and COX-2 was detected in79ESCC and 28normal esophageal epithelial tis-sue samples with immunohistochemical staining. The microvessel density by CD34was determined and the clinicopathological significance of CD 40and COX- 2 expression in ESCC was analyzed. In addition, the ex -pression of CD 40and COX-2 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell line Eca 109 and primary cultured normal esophageal epithelial cells in vivo was comparatively studied with immunocytochemical staining and Western blot. Results: Compared with that in normal epithelial tissues, the expression of CD40and COX-2 in ESCC was significantly higher (54.43% vs10.71%;69.62% vs17.86%; respectively, P<0.05). The positive expression rate of CD 40in ESCC cases with lymph node metastasis was significantly higher than that in those without lymph node metastasis (70.37% vs46.15%,P<0.05). No correlation was found between CD 40expres-sion and patient age, sex, tumor location, size and differentiation of tumors. No clinicopathological signifi -cance of COX- 2 expression in ESCC was found. There was a positive correlation between CD 40expression and COX-2 expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma ( P<0.05, Φ =0.446 ). The mean MVD value in ESCC was significantly higher than that in normal esophageal tissue (25.02± 5.52vs12.09± 4.55, P<0.05). MVD value in ESCC was closely correlated with lymph node metastasis. The mean MVD value in ESCC cas-es with positive CD 40and COX-2 expression was higher than that in those with negative CD 40and COX-2 expression (26.37± 6.02vs22.58± 5.25, P<0.05). Western blot results showed that CD 40and COX-2 expres-sion in Eca109 was higher than that in cultured normal esophageal epithelial cells (P<0.05). Conclusion:The expression of CD 40is involved in the carcinogenesis and progression of esophageal squamous cell carcino -ma. CD40may play an important role in the angiogenesis of ESCC through promoting COX-2 expression.