背景与目的:Ⅱ、Ⅲ期直肠癌术后常发生血道转移,肿瘤新生血管生成是肿瘤血道转移的重要步骤,环氧合酶-2(COX-2)和血管内皮生长因子-C(VEGF-C)与肿瘤的新生血管生成有一定关系。本研究将探讨COX-2和VEGF-C在Ⅱ、Ⅲ期直肠癌组织中的表达及其与肿瘤生物学特征和肿瘤血管生成的关系。方法:免疫组化法检测Ⅱ、Ⅲ期直肠癌组织COX-2和VEGF-C的表达,并测定肿瘤微血管密度(MVD)。结果:①直肠癌组织中COX-2及VEGF-C高表达率均为72.5%,高于癌旁正常组织(9.8%和50.0%)(P均<0.05);直肠癌组织中MVD值为18.41±8.86,高于癌旁正常组织(11.24±7.4)(P<0.05);②COX-2在直肠癌组织中的表达与肿瘤组织的分化程度、浸润深度及VEGF-C的表达相关,与肿瘤的大小及淋巴结转移不相关;③VEGF-C在直肠癌组织中的表达仅与COX-2的表达相关,而与淋巴结转移、肿瘤组织的分化及浸润深度不相关;④在直肠癌组织中的MVD与肿瘤组织的分化程度、及VEGF-C、COX-2的表达相关,与肿瘤的大小、浸润深度及淋巴结转移不相关。结论:COX-2和VEGF-C的表达与Ⅱ、Ⅲ期直肠癌组织中肿瘤血管生成有密切关系,但与预后无关。 BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Hematogenous metastasis occurs frequently in patients with stage II and III rectal cancer. Tumor neovascularization is an important step in the hematogenous metastasis of tumor. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor- C) Neovascularization with the tumor has a certain relationship. This study will investigate the expression of COX-2 and VEGF-C in stage II and stage III colorectal cancer and its relationship with tumor biological characteristics and tumor angiogenesis. Methods: The expressions of COX-2 and VEGF-C in stage Ⅱ, Ⅲ rectal cancer tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry and the microvessel density (MVD) was measured. Results ① The high expression rates of COX-2 and VEGF-C in rectal cancer tissues were 72.5%, which were higher than those in adjacent normal tissues (9.8% and 50.0%) (all P <0.05). The MVD in rectal cancer tissues was 18.41 ± 8.86, which was significantly higher than that in the adjacent normal tissues (11.24 ± 7.4) (P <0.05). ②The expression of COX-2 in rectal cancer was correlated with tumor differentiation, depth of invasion and the expression of VEGF-C The expression of VEGF-C in rectal cancer tissues was only correlated with the expression of COX-2, but not with the lymph node metastasis, the differentiation of tumor tissues and the depth of invasion. ④The expression of MVD in rectal cancer The degree of tumor differentiation, and the expression of VEGF-C and COX-2 were correlated with tumor size, depth of invasion and lymph node metastasis. Conclusion: The expressions of COX-2 and VEGF-C are closely related to tumor angiogenesis in stage Ⅱ and stage Ⅲ rectal cancer, but have no relation with prognosis.