Cyclooxygenase‑2 concentration and prostaglandin E<sub>2</sub> levels in sera and urine of women with breast cancer

Mahmoud,Hiba Q.; Hamzah,Mohammed I.; Talab,Tabarak J.; Mhana,Russl S.

doi:10.3892/wasj.2026.456

May-June 2026 Volume 8 Issue 3

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May-June 2026 Volume 8 Issue 3

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Article Open Access

Cyclooxygenase‑2 concentration and prostaglandin E₂ levels in sera and urine of women with breast cancer

Authors:
- Hiba Q. Mahmoud
- Mohammed I. Hamzah
- Tabarak J. Talab
- Russl S. Mhana
View Affiliations / Copyright

Affiliations: Department of Chemistry, Collage of Science, Mustansiriyah University, Bagdad 10061, Iraq, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Medicine/Al‑Nahrain University, Baghdad 10075, Iraq, Department of Biology, College of Science, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad 10061, Iraq

Copyright: © Mahmoud et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License [CC BY 4.0].
Article Number: 41
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Published online on: March 27, 2026

https://doi.org/10.3892/wasj.2026.456
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Abstract

Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignant neoplasm and the leading cause of cancer‑related mortality among women worldwide. From arachidonic acid and other fatty acids, the cyclooxygenase (COX) pathway generates a variety of prostaglandins. However, there are limited studies available on serum cyclooxygenase and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) levels in patients with breast cancer globally, and none on urinary concentrations worldwide, at least to the best of our knowledge. The present study thus investigated the association between serum and urinary COX and PGE₂ levels in women with breast cancer in an aim to assess urine as a potential alternative to serum analysis. The fasting sera and urine COX and PGE₂ concentrations were determined in 29 patients with breast cancer, 29 first‑degree relatives and 30 age‑matched women without breast cancer as the controls. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was used to the measure sera and urine COX and PGE₂ concentrations. All three groups were statistically similar in terms of age and body mass index. A significant difference in the serum level of COX‑2 was observed among the groups, with the breast cancer group manifesting the highest level (P<0.001). In urine, the COX‑2 levels portrayed an opposite trend to that of the serum levels: The control group displayed notably higher levels (P<0.001). The sera and urine levels of PGE2 among the three groups do not exhibit a statistically significant difference. On the whole, the present study demonstrates that COX‑2 levels are elevated in the early stages of breast cancer, indicating its potential role in disease progression.

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