Expression of E-cadherin, alpha- and beta-catenins in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
E-Cadherin and its associated cytoplasmic proteins, catenins, are important mediators of epithelial cell-cell adhesion and intracellular signaling. Much evidence exists suggesting a tumor invasion suppressor role for E-cadherin and catenins and loss of expression, as well as mutations, has been described in a number of epithelial cancers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of E-cadherin and catenins in pancreatic adenocarcinoma tissue, and to examine the relationship between these expression and various clinicopathological parameters.


METHODS
In this study, we conducted an immunohistochemical investigation of expression of E-cadherin, alpha- and beta-catenins in 30 tissue samples obtained from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients undergoing surgical treatment.


RESULTS
In the pancreatic mucosa of noncancerous areas, epithelial cells showed equally strong membranous expression of E-cadherin, alpha- and beta-catenin proteins at the cell-cell boundaries. Reduced expression of E-cadherin, alpha- and beta-catenins was demonstrated in 60.0, 40.0, and 56.7% of cancer tissues, respectively. Reduced expression of E-cadherin, alpha- and beta-catenins correlated with tumor dedifferentiation (p = 0.012, 0.013, and 0.033, respectively). Reduced expression of E-cadherin correlated with stage and lymph node involvement (p = 0.031, 0.009, respectively). alpha-Catenin and beta-catenin expression did not correlate with the patient's age and sex, with the tumor size, location, stage and depth of invasion, or lymph node involvement and distant metastasis.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that the E-cadherin and catenins may be a useful marker of differentiation and prognosis in pancreatic adenocarcinoma, although the mechanisms underlying changes in E-cadherin and catenin expression are not fully known.
Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, 8 Hak-Dong, Dong-ku, Kwangju 501-757, Korea. mareejb@netian.com
Young-Eun
YE
Joo
Jong-Sun
JS
Rew
Chang-Soo
CS
Park
Sei-Jong
SJ
Kim
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010179:Pancreas / Q000378:metabolism; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012016:Reference Values; 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