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(American Journal of Pathology. 2005;167:1599-1607.)
© 2005 American Society for Investigative Pathology

Potential Pathogenetic Implications of Cyclooxygenase-2 Overexpression in B Chronic Lymphoid Leukemia Cells

Paola Secchiero*, Elisa Barbarotto*, Arianna Gonelli*, Mario Tiribelli{dagger}, Carlotta Zerbinati{ddagger}, Claudio Celeghini{ddagger}, Claudio Agostinelli§, Stefano A. Pileri§ and Giorgio Zauli{ddagger}

From the Department of Morphology and Embryology,* Human Anatomy Section, University of Ferrara, Ferrara; the Department of Medical and Morphological Researches,{dagger} Division of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, University Hospital, Udine; the Department of Normal Human Morphology,{ddagger} University of Trieste, Trieste; and the Unit of Haematopathology,§ Institute of Haematology and Clinical Oncology "L. and A. Seragnoli", University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

Evidence suggests that cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) increases tumorigenic potential by promoting resistance to apoptosis. Because B chronic lymphoid leukemia (B-CLL) cells exhibit a defective apoptotic response, we analyzed CD19+ B lymphocytes purified from the peripheral blood of B-CLL patients. Microarray analysis showed a variable (up to 38-fold) increase in the steady-state mRNA levels of COX-2 in B-CLL lymphocytes compared with normal CD19+ B lymphocytes. The up-regulation of COX-2 in B-CLL cells was confirmed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analyses. Moreover, immunohistochemical analysis of B-CLL bone marrow infiltrates confirmed clear expression of COX-2 in leukemic cells. Ex vivo treatment with the COX-2 inhibitor NS-398 significantly decreased the survival of leukemic cells by increasing the rate of spontaneous apoptosis in 13 of 16 B-CLL samples examined, but it did not affect the survival of normal lymphocytes. Pretreatment with NS-398 significantly potentiated the cytotoxicity induced by chlorambucil in 8 of 16 B-CLL samples examined. Moreover, although recombinant tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL)/Apo2L showed little cytotoxic effect in most B-CLL samples examined, pretreatment with NS-398 sensitized 8 of 16 B-CLL samples to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Taken together, our data indicate that COX-2 overexpression likely represents an additional mechanism of resistance to apoptosis in B-CLL and that pharmacological suppression of COX-2 might enhance chemotherapy-mediated apoptosis.




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