ISSN:
1436-3305
Keywords:
Key words Gastric cancer
;
Beta-catenin
;
E-cadherin
;
Immunohistochemistry
;
Western blot
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Background. Beta-catenin plays two distinct roles, in intercellular adhesion by E-cadherin, and in transcriptional activation via TCF/LEF. Theoretically, the former role is tumor-suppressive, while the latter is oncogenic. We investigated the involvement of beta-catenin in the histogenesis and clinical outcome of gastric cancers. Methods. The expression pattern of beta-catenin was evaluated in stomach and lymph nodes from 82 patients with gastric cancer by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Its association with E-cadherin expression and clinicopathological factors, including histological type and postoperative survival, was examined. Results. Beta-catenin expression was classified into two patterns, normal (23.2%; 19 patients) and disordered (76.8%; 63 patients), the latter being subclassified as overexpressed (7.3%; 6 patients) and reduced (69.5%; 57 patients). A disordered beta-catenin expression pattern was significantly correlated with diffuse type adenocarcinoma and deep tumor infiltration (P = 0.0154), but was not associated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.7877). E-cadherin was always expressed at the cell membrane, and disordered beta-catenin expression was significantly associated with reduced E-cadherin expression (P 〈 0.0001). On univariate analysis, the beta-catenin pattern, as well as depth of invasion and lymph node metastasis, was associated with postoperative prognosis; however, only lymph node metastasis was an independent prognostic factor on multivariate analysis. Interestingly, different disordered patterns of beta-catenin expression, both overexpressed and reduced, were associated with E-cadherin reduction and poorer postoperative survival. Conclusion. Although disordered patterns of beta-catenin expression varied in gastric cancers, they were consistently associated with cancer progression.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/PL00011717
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