Clinical significance of E-cadherin-catenin complex expression in metastatic foci of colorectal carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
Reduced expressions of cell adhesion molecules (E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, and beta-catenin) has been reported to be associated with tumor metastasis. However, the clinical significance of such adhesion molecules in the metastatic foci remains unclear. In this study, we evaluated the prognostic significance of E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, and beta-catenin expressions in the metastatic foci of patients with colorectal carcinoma.


METHODS
The expressions of E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, and beta-catenin were detected immunohistochemically in 105 primary tumors, in 30 metastatic lymph nodes, and 13 metastatic liver tumors from consecutive patients with colorectal carcinoma.


RESULTS
Reduced normal expression of E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, and beta-catenin in comparison with normal epithelium was detected in 78 primary tumors, respectively. Patients who had tumors with reduced expression of adhesion molecules showed unfavorable prognosis and the reduced expression of adhesion molecules was detected as one of the independent prognostic factors for patients with colorectal carcinoma. In 30 patients with lymph node metastasis, the increased expression of adhesion molecules in metastatic lymph nodes compared with primary tumors was detected in 13 patients. The prognosis of these 13 patients was poorer than that of remaining 17 patients (P = 0.0296). Also, in 13 patients with liver metastasis, even no significant difference was observed, the mean survival time of 6 patients who had metastatic liver tumors with increased expression of adhesion molecules (10 months) was shorter than that of the remaining 7 patients (16 months; P = 0.1718).


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that increased expression of the cadherin-catenin cell-cell adhesion system in metastatic foci may play an important role in progression of metastatic colorectal carcinomas.
Ikeguchi
M
M
Department of Surgery I, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan. surgery1@grape.med.tottori-u.ac.jp
Makino
M
M
Kaibara
N
N
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015820:Cadherins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051178:alpha Catenin; D051176:beta Catenin
C495273:CTNNA1 protein, human; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051178:alpha Catenin; D051176:beta Catenin