%A Mizoguchi, Koji %A Ishiguro, Hideyuki %A Ogawa, Ryo %A Tanaka, Tatsuya %A Sagawa, Hiroyuki %A Okubo, Tomotaka %A Samoto, Yosuke %D 2017 %T Cyclooxygenase-2 expression is suppressed by eicosapentaenoic acid and is a prognostic factor for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients after curative surgery %K cyclooxygenase-2, eicosapentaenoic acid, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, immunohistochemistry,  prognosis %X Background/Purpose We showed that eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) stimulated apoptosis via caspases in ESCC cell lines, indicating an anti-cancer effect. In the present study, we aimed to clarify whether the anticancer and anti-inflammatory actions of EPA are related to COX-2. Materials and method We performed immunohistochemical analysis in 92 ESCC specimens to investigate the relationship between COX-2 expression and prognosis, and Western blotting in ESCC cell lines to determine whether EPA suppresses COX-2. Results Immunohistochemistry showed that COX-2 expression levels were enhanced in the ESCC specimens, with a significant prognostic impact on the survival of surgically treated cases (P=0.0017, log-rank test). Multivariate analysis showed that the prognostic impact of COX-2 is independent of disease stage (P=0.02). Western blotting revealed that the KYSE180 and TE11 ESCC cell lines express COX-2, which was greatly suppressed by EPA stimulation. Conclusions The expression of COX-2 in patients with ESCC is associated with significantly poor survival rates. EPA may have an anti-cancer effect via suppression of COX-2. %U https://esmed.org/MRA/mra/article/view/1024 %J Medical Research Archives %0 Journal Article %V 5 %N 3 %@ 2375-1924 %8 2017-03-15