사람 두경부세포암종에서 세포질 내 HuR 발현 및 미세혈관 밀도와 제 2형 사이클로옥시기나제 과발현과의 상관관계

Abstract

The human embryonic-lethal abnormal vision-like protein, HuR, stabilizes mRNA containing adenine- and uridine-rich elements in their 3untranslated region. Because cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA is a cellular transcript that contains an adenine- and uridine-rich element, it can be regulated by the HuR protein. In this study, we examined the relationship between COX-2, HuR, MVD, and the clinicopathological parameters. Nineteen out of 43 cases of HNSCC showed high level of COX-2expression, and 68% of these patients showed high COX-2 immuno-reactivity indicating the strong expression of the cytoplasmic HuR protein. Also, MVD expression in the cases with high COX-2 expression was higher than in the cases with low COX-2 expression. These results suggest a strong correlation between the overexpression of cytoplasmic HuR and COX-2 expression in HNSCC, and that COX-2 is associated with MVD in HNSCC. In conclusion, COX-2 regulated by cytoplasmic HuR may be a good tumor angiogenic factor in HNSCC.