Caveolin-1, E-cadherin and ß-catenin in Gastric Carcinoma, Precancerous Tissues and Chronic Non-atrophic Gastritis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expressions of caveolin-1, E-cadherin and ß-catenin in gastric carcinoma, precancerous gastric and chronic non-atrophic gastritis tissues, and evaluate the correlation of these expressions with the development of gastric cancer. METHODS: The expressions of caveolin-1, E-cadherin and ß-catenin were detected by biotin-streptavidin- peroxidase (SP) immunohistochemistry on 58 gastric cancer tissues, 40 precancerous gastric tissues and 42 chronic non-atrophic gastritis tissues. The correlation between the expressions of caveolin-1, E-cadherin and ß-catenin, and the clinicopathologic parameters of gastric cancer was analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: The positive rates of caveolin-1 and E-cadherin expressions in gastric carcinoma were significantly lower than precancerous gastric and chronic non-atrophic gastritis tissues (P<0.01). An abnormal rate of ß-catenin expression in gastric carcinoma was higher than precancerous gastric and chronic non-atrophic gastritis tissues (P<0.01). Moreover, low expressions of caveolin-1, E-cadherin and ß-catenin correlated with tumor size, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis and TNM stage (P<0.05). The positive rates of caveolin-1 and E-cadherin expressions decreased (P<0.01), while an abnormal rate of ß-catenin expression increased inversely, with the degree of atypical hyperplasia (P<0.01). Caveolin-1 expression correlated positively with E-cadherin (r=0.41, P<0.05). Caveolin-1 (r=-0.36, P<0.05) and E-cadherin (r=-0.45, P<0.05) expressions negatively correlated with abnormal ß-catenin expression. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that dysregulated expressions of caveolin-1, E-cadherin and ß-catenin correlated with the development of gastric cancer and its biological behavior.