Immunohistochemical expression of COX2 and iNOS in bladder cancer and its association with urinary schistosomiasis among Sudanese patients

AIMS: The purpose of this study was to determine if any relationship exists between expression of COX2 and iNOS markers and urinary schistosomiasis in bladder cancers. METHODOLOGY: Immunohistochemical expression of COX2 and iNOS was assessed in formalin fixed paraffin wax processed tissues obtained from 155 patients with bladder cancers (87 SCC and 68 TCC) and 39 patients with benign bladder cystitis. RESULTS: The overall immune-expressions of COX2 and iNOS were 71.6% and 57.2% respectively, of the 194 bladder lesions. A significant Positive association between COX2 or iNOS expression with bladder lesions (SCC, TCC and cystitis) was found (p.value = 0.000). COX2 and iNOS were co-expressed among 73(83.9%) of SCC, 15(22.1%) of TCC and 11(28.2%) of the cystitis group. The relationship between COX2 and iNOS immunostaining and Schistosomal ova positivity was statistically determined by P values 0.0565 and 0.1223 for Cox2 and iNOS, respectively. CONCLUSION: There are high rates of positive expression of COX2 and iNOS among Sudanese patients with Schistosomal-related bladder lesions. There might be strong association between high rates of bladder cancers and urinary Schistosomiasis in the Sudan since, the great majority of lesions were positive for COX2.