Clinicopathological significance and expression of Numb and α-catenin in gastric carcinoma / 国际肿瘤学杂志

Objective To detect the expressions of Numb and α-catenin in the gastric cancer and matched normal gastric mucosa,and to analyze their relationship with clinicopathological factors of gastric cancer and explore their roles in gastric carcinogenesis and progression.Methods Immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expressions of Numb and α-catenin in 109 cases of tumor specimens and 97 cases of matched normal gastric mucosa.The correlations between Numb,α-catenin and clinicopathological factors were analyzed.Results The positive rates of Numb and α-catenin in gastric cancer were significantly lower than those in normal gastric mucosa (60.6％ ∶ 100.0％,x2 =48.361,P =0.000;76.1％ ∶ 100.0％,x2 =26.480,P=0.000).The expression of Numb protein was correlated with Lauren type (x2 =17.018,P =0.000) and tubular adenocarcinoma differentiation (x2 =17.586,P =0.000).The expression of α-catenin protein was correlated with Borrmann type (x2 =6.700,P =0.035),Lauren type (x2 =11.098,P =0.001),tubular adenocarcinoma differentiation (x2 =8.203,P =0.017) and lymph node metastasis (x2 =6.402,P =0.011).The expressions of Numb and α-catenin were statistically correlated in 109 cases of gastric cancer (rk =0.184,P =0.028).Conclusion Compared with normal gastric mucosa,both Numb and α-catenin expressions are down-regulated and the two expressions are correlated in gastric cancer.Numb and α-catenin may be involved in the regulation of histological differentiation of gastric cancer by certain passages,Numb protein may be adjusted by α-catenin pathway which is involved in Wnt-β-catenin pathway,and thus plays an important role in promoting cell proliferation,invasion and metastasis in human gastric cancer.

Immune expression of E-cadherin and α, β and γ-Catenin adhesion molecules and prognosis for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinomas

INTRODUCTION: Cell adhesion molecules (CAM) are required for maintaining a normal epithelial phenotype, and abnormalities in CAM expression have been related to cancer progression, including bladder urothelial carcinomas. There is only one study that correlates E-cadherin and α-, β- and γ-catenin expression with prognosis of upper tract urothelial carcinomas. Our aim is to study the pattern of immune expression of these CAMs in urothelial carcinomas from the renal pelvis and ureter in patients who have been treated surgically. Our goal is to correlate these expression levels and characteristics with well-known prognostic parameters for disease-free survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated specimens from 20 patients with urothelial carcinomas of the renal pelvis and ureter who were treated with nephroureterectomy or ureterectomy between June 1997 and January 2007. CAM expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in a tissue microarray and correlated with histopathological characteristics and patient outcomes after a mean follow-up of 55 months. RESULTS: We observed a relationship between E-cadherin expression and disease recurrence. Disease recurrence occurred in 87.5% of patients with strong E-cadherin expression. Only 50.0% of patients with moderate expression and 0% of patients with weak or no expression of E-cadherin had disease recurrence (p = 0.014). There was also a difference in disease-free survival. Patients with strong E-cadherin expression had a mean disease-free survival rate of 49.1 months, compared to 83.9 months for patients with moderate expression (p = 0.011). Additionally, an absence of α-catenin expression was associated with tumors that were larger than 3 cm (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated for the first time that immune expression of E-cadherin is related to tumor recurrence and disease-free survival rates, and the absence of α-catenin expression is related to tumor size in upper tract urothelial carcinomas.

Expression of Alpha-catenin/E-cadherin and Clinical Significance of Metastatic Factors in Stage III Advanced Colon Cancer

PURPOSE: Among the cell adhesion molecules, alpha-catenin and E-cadherin play an important part in maintaining normal cell structure. The change in expression of cell adhesion molecules affects the invasion and metastasis of a tumor and the prognosis for patients. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between the expression of cell adhesion molecules and the histopathologic characteristics of stage III colon cancer. METHODS: The relationship between the immunohistochemical expression of cell adhesion molecules and tumor progression were statistically analyzed in 40 patients with stage III colon cancer. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant correlations between loss of membranous alpha-catenin and E-cadherin expressions and such variables as histologic differentiation and lymph node disease based on the criteria of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC). A significant correlation, however, existed between depth of mural invasion and loss of expressions of both alpha-catenin and E-cadherin (P=0.001 and P=0.002, respectively). Expressions of both alpha-catenin and E-cadherin were also significantly decreased in patients showing liver metastases during follow-up (P=0.019 and P=0.015, respectively). CONCLUSION: Immunohistochemical analyses of alpha-catenin and E-cadherin expressions may be available as predictors for distant metastasis, especially in stage III colon cancer. Such analyses may also help to identify appropriate therapeutic strategies and the need for intensive follow-up in patients with stage III colon cancer.

Significance of E-cadherin/catenin adhesion complex expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 基础医学与临床

Objective To elucidate the expression pattern of E-cadherin/catenin adhesion complex and its association with pathologic features in nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC).Methods Fifty-two non-keratinizing NPC specimens with adjacent non-neoplastic mucosa were examined for E-cadherin,?-CATenin,?-CATenin.Results Abnormal expression rate of E-cadherin,?-catenin and ?-catenin in NPCs were 48.1%(25/52),32.7%(17/52) and 34.6%(18/52),respectively,whereas all adjacent non-neoplastic tissues normally expressed these proteins.Difference of expression of E-cadherin,?-catenin and ?-catenin between tumor tissues and non-cancerous tissues was statistically significant(P

Expression of E-cadherin and Catenin (alpha-, beta-catenin) in Endometrial Cancer and Atypical Complex Endometrial Hyperplasia / 대한산부인과학회지

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the correlation of the expression of E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, beta-catenin and the clinicopathological features in endometrial cancer (EC) and atypical complex endometrial hyperplasia (ACEH). METHODS: Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, beta-catenin was performed in tissues of 6 ACEHs, 44 endometrioid ECs. We analyzed the correlation of the expression of IHC staining with the prognostic factors according to tumor stage of ACEH and EC, histopathologic grade, and myometrial invasion. RESULTS: According to tumor stage, reduced E-cadherin expression and abnormal alpha-catenin expression were observed more frequently in advanced stage (reduced E-cadherin: ACEH 0%, stage I-II 47.2%, stage III-IV 62.5%, p=0.050; abnormal alpha-catenin: ACEH 0%, stage I-II 27.8%, stage III-IV 62.5%, p=0.035). All of the IHC staining showed no correlation with the depth of myometrial invasion but showed correlation with presence of myometrial invasion (reduced E-cadherin: invasion(-) 14.3%, invasion(+) 66.7%, p =0.001; abnormal alpha-catenin: invasion(-) 7.1%, invasion (+) 46.0%, p=0.010; abnormal beta-catenin: invasion(-) 7.1%, invasion(+) 63.0%, p=0.000). According to histological differentiation only abnormal beta-catenin expression shows relationship with histopathologic grade (grade 1:23.1%, grade 2:60%, grade 3:62.5%, p=0.039). CONCLUSION: Expression of E-cadherin and alpha-catenin showed significantly more reduced expression in EC than in ACEH, and more reduced expression in advanced stage, myometrial invasion and high histopathologic grade. And alpha-catenin showed more frequent abnormal expression in advanced stage, myometrial invasion and beta-catenin showed more frequent in myometrial invasion, high histopathologic grade significantly. These results suggests that the expression of E-cadherin and alpha-catenin, beta-catenin in EC and ACEH could be related to prognosis of the tumor.

Expression of E-Cadherin and alpha-Catenin in Patients with Colorectal Cancer

PURPOSE: E-cadherin plays a crucial role in cell-cell adhesion in epithelial tissues. The function of E-cadherin is thought to be regulated by its associated cytoplasmic proteins including alpha-catenin. Recent studies have shown a correlation between decreased E-cadherin and alpha-catenin expression and tumor invasion and metastasis. METHODS: We conducted an immunohistochemical staining of epithelial (E)-cadherin and alpha-catenin expression in 129 tissue samples taken from colorectal cancer patients undergoing surgical treatment by the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex method. We classified tumors into three types according to the expression modality. Cancer cells with strong expression at the cell-cell boundaries were defined as two positive (++);, when the expression was positive, but not concentrated at the cell-cell boundaries and weak, they were defined as one positive (+);, and when the tumor showed no staining, they were defined as negative (-). The relationships between these three expression types and the clinicopathological features of colorectal cancer were investigated. RESULTS: The expression type of E-cadherin and alpha-catenin was two positive (++) in 5 and 20 of the cancer tissue specimens, one positive (+) in 66 and 56, and negative (-) in 58 (45%) and 53 (41.1%). Negative expression of E-cadherin and alpha-catenin were significantly correlated with tumor differentiation, Dukes'stage, and lymph node metastasis of the colorectal cancer patients (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The expression type of E-cadherin is signifi-cantly corretated to that of alpha-catenin, and the loss of their expression indicates the invasion and metastasis of colorectal cancer. To predict tumor invasion and metastasis in colorectal carcinoma, it is useful to investigate both the expression of E-cadherin and of alpha-catenin.

Correlation of Expression of E-Cadherin, alpha-Catenin, beta-Catenin, and Clinicopathologic Parameters in Colorectal Adenocarcinomas

The E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, and beta-catenin expressions were immunohistochemically investigated in paraffin-embedded materials of 80 cases of colorectal adenocarcinomas. The staining similar to normal colorectal mucosa with preserved strong membranous staining pattern was considered normal or preserved expression. The X2 test was used to analyse the statistical correlation of cadherin/catenin expression with clinicopathologic parameters and the Breslow test for the correlation with survival length. Normal colorectal mucosa showed strong membranous expression of cadherin/catenin complex. The reduced E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, and beta-catenin expression were found in 53/80 (66.3%), 46/80 (57.5%), and 44/80 (55.5%) cases of colorectal cancers examined, respectively. There were significant correlations between E- cadherin and alpha -catenin (p=0.035), and between alpha-catenin and beta-catenin (p=0.013). The reduced E-cadherin expression was associated with histologic dedifferentiation, tumor depth, lymph node metastasis, clinical stage (p<0.05), poor clinical outcome in stage II (p=0.016) and the reduced alpha-catenin expression with lymph node metastasis and clinical stage (p<0.05). Reduced expression of two or more proteins was correlated with lymph node matastasis, histologic dedifferentiation, clinical stage, and survival (p<0.05). The present study demonstrates a significant down-regulation of E-cadherin and alpha-catenin expression in colorectal cancer is associated with tumor invasiveness, histologic dedifferentiation, lymph node metastasis, and clinical stage. These results suggest that E-cadherin and alpha-catenin may be useful markers of invasiveness, lymph node metastatic potential, and clinical stage and of value as prognostic markers in the earlier stage. Further studies are needed to confirm the prognostic value of these cadherin/catenin complex.