Background and objective: Cytochrome P450 arachidonic acid epoxygenase 2J2 (CYP2J2) is a new metabolic pathway of arachidonic acid. However, its biological effects, especially pathophysiologic significance in human beings, remain to be further recognized. This study was to determine the expression of CYP2J2 in human tumor tissues and cell lines.
Methods: The expression of CYP2J2 mRNA and protein in 130 specimens of human carcinoma and related adjacent normal tissues, four specimens of inflammatory pseudotumor tissues, eight human tumor cell lines and two normal cell lines (as control) was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), western blot and immunohistochemistry.
Results: CYP2J2 was highly expressed in 101 (78%) carcinoma tissues, but was not detected in adjacent normal tissues and inflammatory pseudo-tumor tissues. Its mRNA level was obviously correlated to its protein level (r = 0.613, p < 0.01). Immunohistochemistry analysis showed the same results as RT-PCR and western blot. Furthermore, CYP2J2 was only expressed in cancer cells but not in interstitial and inflammatory cells. CYP2J2 was highly expressed in all carcinoma cell lines, but not in two normal cell lines.
Conclusion: CYP2J2 is highly and selectively expressed in human tumor tissues and cell lines and may be a novel biomarker of human tumors.