Cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression in thyroid neoplasms and their clinicopathological correlation

To evaluate the expressions of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in thyroid neoplasms in a Korean population, we studied a total of 154 cases: papillary carcinoma of classical type (PTC), 86; follicular adenoma (FA), 21; follicular carcinoma (FC), 35; medullary carcinoma (MC) 3; undifferentiated carcinoma (UC), 5; and Hurthle cell neoplasm (HN), 4. Using immunohistochemical staining, COX-2 expression was detected in 62 (72.1 %) PTC specimens, 5 (23.8%) FA specimens, 10 (28.6%) FC specimens, 0 (0.0%) MC specimens, 1 (20.0%) UC specimen, and 3 (75%) HN specimens. NOS expression was detected in 66 (76.7%) PTC specimens, 4 (19.0%) FA specimens, 13 (37.1%) FC specimens, 0 (0.0%) MC specimens, 3 (60.0%) UC specimens, and 4 (100%) HN specimens. The results showed that COX-2 and NOS were frequently expressed in the PTC and HN specimens, and NOS was more frequently overexpressed in the FC specimens than in the FA specimens. In PTC, COX-2 and NOS were significantly overexpressed in patients over 45 yr of age (p=0.029, p=0.041), and NOS expression was increased in patients with a large primary tumor (p=0.028). These results suggest that the upregulation of COX-2 and NOS may contribute to the tumor progression of thyroid gland, particularly in PTC and HN, and NOS may play an adjuvant role during the tumor progression of FC.