title: The loss of E-cadherin, alpha- and beta-catenin expression is associated with metastasis and poor prognosis in invasive breast cancer.
abstract: Loss of E-cadherin and catenin expression may be associated with distant and lymph node metastases in breast cancer. Heterogeneity of E-cadherin expression is associated with poor prognosis, suggesting that E-cadherin and catenins may serve as useful prognostic markers for invasive breast carcinoma. Reduction or loss of expression of either E-cadherin or catenins is associated with invasion, metastasis and poor prognosis in several types of human malignancies. We investigated the expression of E-cadherin, and alpha- and beta-catenins by immunohistochemistry in 171 cases of primary invasive breast cancer, and compared the expression with clinicopathological parameters to define the relationship between expression and prognosis. E-cadherin immunoreactive protein was shown to be expressed in 97 cases. Reduction or lack of expression of E-cadherin was associated with distant metastasis. Based on immunohistochemical heterogeneity, E-cadherin-positive tumors were classified into heterogeneous, homogeneous and intermediate types. Interestingly, although patients with heterogeneous type demonstrated the lowest incidence of distant metastasis at diagnosis, they showed a higher incidence of subsequent distant metastasis, after surgery, and a lower survival rate than those with homogeneous type (p<0.05). E-cadherin expression was reduced or negative in metastatic axillary lymph nodes regardless of the expression in the primary tumor, suggesting that changes in E-cadherin expression are associated with not only distant metastasis but also lymph node metastasis. Tumors negative for either alpha- or beta-catenin expression demonstrated a higher incidence of distant metastasis than those expressing both catenins, suggesting that the expression of catenins is involved in breast cancer metastasis. Reduction or loss of E-cadherin and catenin expression may be associated with distant and lymph node metastases in invasive breast cancer, and the heterogeneous type may be associated with poor prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohuchi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051178:alpha Catenin; D051176:beta Catenin
chemical_list: C495273:CTNNA1 protein, human; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051178:alpha Catenin; D051176:beta Catenin