Overexpression of cyclooxygenase-2 in squamous cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder

Epidemiological studies indicate that the development of squamous cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder is closely associated with chronic inflammation of the urinary tract, but the underlying mechanism is unknown. Cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 is involved in tumorigenesis in many tumors. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of COX-2 in squamous cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder by immunoblot and immunohistochemical analyses. COX-2 protein was undetectable in normal bladder samples, but was expressed in 29 of 29 (100%) squamous cell carcinomas and in 8 of 8 (100%) squamous metaplasias. The expression of COX-2 showed intense, homogenous cytoplasmic immunostaining in squamous cell carcinomas. In contrast, COX-2 was heterogeneously expressed in 6 of 12 (50%) cases of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder combined with squamous cell carcinoma, consistent with previous findings. We provide the first evidence that COX-2 is expressed in squamous cell carcinomas of the urinary bladder and in the precursor lesions, indicating its involvement in the development of this type of malignancy.