[Correlation between the intercellular adhesion molecule (E-cadherin) and its associated protein (alpha-catenin) expression and metastasis in human digestive cancers].
The immunostaining (ABC method) of E-cadherin and alpha-catenin were performed on 46 esophageal cancers, 67 gastric cancers, 100 colon cancers. E-cadherin and alpha-catenin expression was evaluated as preserved and reduced according to the proportion of positive cells, respectively. The reduction of alpha-catenin expression was more significantly related to lymph node metastasis than that of E-cadherin. Furthermore, the frequency of hematogenous liver metastasis in preserved E-cadherin expression and reduced alpha-catenin expression was significantly higher than that in another combination of E-cadherin and alpha-catenin expression, in gastric and colon cancer. The reduction of alpha-catenin expression was associated with declined intercellular adhesiveness, which occasionally was not accompanied by reduction of E-cadherin. Therefore, the expression of alpha-catenin might more sensitively indicated cell-cell adhesion, predicting tumor metastasis.
Shiozaki
H
H
Department of Surgery II, Osaka University Medical School.
Gofuku
J
J
Inoue
M
M
Tamura
S
S
D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004067:Digestive System Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D051178:alpha Catenin
C495273:CTNNA1 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D051178:alpha Catenin