title: Expression of E-cadherin and alpha-, beta-, gamma-catenin proteins in endometrial carcinoma.
abstract: Loss of the cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin is suggested to promote tumor invasion and distant metastasis in tumor development. Recently, it has been proposed that E-cadherin function requires its linkage to the cytoskeleton through catenins. We evaluated the expression of E-cadherin and alpha-, beta-, gamma-catenins in tissues of human endometrial carcinoma, analyzed the patterns of cell adhesion molecules' expression in endometrial carcinoma and investigated the relationship between the statuses of cell adhesion molecules and various clinicopathological factors. This study investigated the immunohistochemical expression of E-cadherin and alpha-, beta-, gamma-catenins in 33 paraffin embedded formalin fixed tissues of endometrial carcinomas. Aberrant E-cadherin, and alpha-, beta-, gamma-catenin expression was observed in 33.3 (11 of 33), 27.3 (9 of 33), 18.2 (6 of 33), and 51.5 (17 of 33) % of the specimens, respectively. Statistically significant correlation was found between aberrant expression of E-cadherin and lymph node metastasis and cell types other than endometrioid adenocarcinoma. Aberrant pattern of gamma-catenin expression was also correlated with deep myometrial invasion. However, alpha-, and beta-catenin expression was not correlated with any clinicopathological parameters. Using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank comparison test, abnormal expression of E-cadherin was correlated closely with poor survival (p < 0.05), but cases with loss of both E-cadherin and catenin expression predicted even poorer survival than cases with only one or no aberrant expression in E-cadherin and catenins. We revealed aberrant expression of these cell adhesion molecules among patients with endometrial carcinoma. Aberrant expression of E-cadherin was correlated with lymph node metastasis and cell types other than endometrioid adenocarcinoma, while aberrant expression of gamma-catenin was related with deep myometrial invasion. The expression of E-cadherin might be a possible prognostic factor for endometrial cancer while the expression of catenins may help predict patient's survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, C.P.O. Box 8044, Seoul 120-752, Korea.
authors.forename: Young Tae
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Eun Kyung
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jae Wook
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dong Kyu
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sung Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Woo Ick
authors.initials: WI
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015820:Cadherins / Q000032:analysis*; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D051180:Desmoplakins; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000032:analysis*; D051178:alpha Catenin; D051176:beta Catenin; D051185:gamma Catenin
chemical_list: 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