title: Prognostic significance of E-cadherin/catenin complex expression in gastric cancer.
abstract: Abnormal expression of E-cadherin/catenin complex in cancer has been associated with poor differentiation and acquisition of invasiveness, suggesting a possible role of this protein as an invasion suppressor. In this study, we conducted an immunohistochemical investigation of all components of the E-cadherin/catenin complex in 65 gastric cancer patients. Abnormal expression of E-cadherin and, alpha- and gamma-catenin occurred more frequently in diffuse than in intestinal type of gastric cancer, and correlated with poor differentiation. Abnormal expression of E-cadherin and beta-catenin correlated with poor survival. Abnormal expression of all four components of the complex was associated with poorly differentiated and diffuse-type carcinoma, and poor survival. In the multivariate analysis, abnormal expression of the E-cadherin/catenin complex was not an independent prognostic factor. These results suggest that the E-cadherin/catenin complex may be a useful marker of differentiation and prognosis in gastric cancer. Further studies are warranted to clarify the impact of the E-cadherin/catenin complex on prognostic factor of gastric cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Kwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Y E
authors.initials: YE
authors.lastname: Joo
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Rew
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051180:Desmoplakins; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051178:alpha Catenin; D051176:beta Catenin; D051185:gamma Catenin
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C495273:CTNNA1 protein, human; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D051180:Desmoplakins; C495292:JUP protein, human; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051178:alpha Catenin; D051176:beta Catenin; D051185:gamma Catenin