Decreased Expression of 15-hydroxyprostaglandin Dehydrogenase in Gastric Carcinomas

PURPOSE: Gastric carcinoma tissues release high level of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) when compared to non-neoplastic mucosa, and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), which is the rate-limiting enzyme in prostaglandin (PG) biosynthesis, is often overexpressed in gastric carcinomas and during gastric carcinogenesis. However, little is known about the expression of 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH), the key enzyme responsible for the biological inactivation of PG, in gastric carcinomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We investigated the expression of 15-PGDH in 28 cases of advanced gastric carcinomas by Western blot analysis and also the relation between its expression and the gene promoter methylation. RESULTS: 15-PGDH expression was significantly decreased in gastric carcinomas compared to corresponding non-neoplastic tissues and inversely correlated with the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen in gastric carcinomas. However, there was no correlation between 15-PGDH expression and pathological findings such as nodal metastasis and vascular invasion. Promoter hypermethylation of 15-PGDH gene was not detected in carcinomas, with only a negligible expression of the enzyme. CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that 15-PGDH has tumor suppressor activity in gastric carcinomas.