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Updated: Aug 19, 2025
Heterogeneity Mapping of Protein Expression in Tumors using Quantitative Immunofluorescence
Published on: October 25, 2011
Immunohistochemical Study and Clinicopathologic Correlation of Cox-2 and Her-2 Expression in Colorectal Carcinoma: A
L A Odukoya1, K B Badmos2, G Khramtsova3
1Department of Anatomic and Molecular Pathology, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos State, Nigeria.
Background:
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth most common cancer in Nigeria, and it affects mostly persons in their middle age. In a bid to gain some insight into the molecular characteristics of CRC in our environment, we set out to investigate the expression of COX-2 and HER-2 among Nigerian subjects.
Objectives:
To evaluate the expression of COX-2 and HER-2 and determine their correlation with clinicopathologic parameters in surgically resected histologically diagnosed cases of colorectal cancer.
Methods:
Fifty-three paraffin-embedded tissue blocks of colorectal resections and corresponding patient information were retrieved from the archives of the Anatomic and Molecular Pathology Department of Lagos University Teaching Hospital. A 4-micron slide section was obtained from each specimen and immunohistochemistry for COX-2 and HER-2 expression was performed.
Results:
Mean age of cases was 53.9years with an almost equal M:F ratio of 1.12:1. Half of the cases were moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma and 17% were high grade tumors. Eighty three percent of the tumours showed positive cytoplasmic COX-2 expression and extremely low membranous HER-2 positivity was observed in 2%. There was no significant correlation between COX-2 expression and age, gender, tumour location, tumour size, depth of invasion or lymph node status. However, COX-2 expression revealed a significant correlation with tumour grade (p= 0.013).
Conclusion:
This study detects a high COX-2 and low HER- 2 expression in colorectal cancer using immunohistochemistry, suggesting a possible role for COX-2 in CRC pathogenesis. This report should trigger further investigations of both markers vis-à-vis the management of CRC in our environment.
