BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to elucidate the involvement of cPLA2-AA-COX-2 pathway factors and their potential role in lung cancer early diagnosis and prognosis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: We selected 80 lung cancer patients as the cancer group, and 30 normal patients were selected as the normal group. Serum contents of COX-2, cPLA2, COX-1, mPGES, PGE2, and PGI2 were measured, and mRNA levels of COX-2, cPLA2, COX-1, and mPGES in serum were determined. Spearman’s P-test was used to analyze the correlation between expression of PGI2 and mPGES in serum and the clinical characteristics of these lung cancer patients. The factors affecting the prognosis lung cancer were analyzed by COX regression model.

RESULTS: The serum contents of COX-2, cPLA2, COX-1, mPGES, PGE2, and PGI2 in the cancer patient group were significantly higher (p<0.05) than in the normal group; after treatment, the serum contents of these factors were significantly decreased (p<0.05). However, distant metastasis had a significant effect on serum contents of mPGES and PGI2 (p<0.05), but not on the other factors. The mRNA levels of COX-2, cPLA2, COX-1, and mPGES in cancer patients were significantly higher than in normal patients. In addition, the 5-year survival rate of patients with high expression of mPGES and/or PGI2 was lower than that of the low expression group. Cox regression analysis showed that the expression of mPGES and PGI2 had statistical significance in predicting the prognosis of lung cancer.

CONCLUSIONS: The cPLA2-AA-COX-2 pathway is closely associated with lung cancer. These findings are important for clinical diagnosis of lung cancer.

Keywords: Cyclooxygenase 2, Diagnosis, Group IV Phospholipases A2, Arachidonic Acid, Cytosol, Dinoprostone, Early Detection of Cancer, Intramolecular Oxidoreductases, Isoenzymes, Lung, Phospholipases A2, Cytosolic, Prostaglandin-E Synthases, RNA, Messenger