Expression of e-cadherin and beta-catenin in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: relationships with prognosis.
OBJECTIVE
To elucidate the expression of E-cadherin and beta-catenin correlating with its clinical outcome in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), by analyzing their interrelationship with clinicopathological variables and their effects on progress and prognosis.


METHODS
Expression of E-cadherin and beta-catenin was determined by SP immunohistochemical technique in patients with ESCC consecutively, their correlation with clinical characteristics was evaluated and analyzed by multivariate analysis.


RESULTS
The rate of expression of E-cadherin decreased to 66.03 % (70/106) in ESCC and the protein level was negative correlated with histologic grade, tumor size, clinical staging, lymph node metastasis and venous invasion. Whereas the expression rate of beta-catenin was reduced to 69.8 % (74/106) and the level of protein expression correlated only with histologic grade. There obviously existed inverse correlation between level of E-cadherin protein and survival, especially in stage I, IIa, IIb (P=0.0033), Patients with low-expressing tumors for beta-catenin and non-expressing tumors for E-cadherin/beta-catenin had lower survival period than those with normal-expressing ones (P=0.0501 and P=0.0080, respectively). Patients with diminished expression of E-cadherin as grade II or III had shorter survival period than those with normally expressing and grade I, no significance existed between grade I and grade II or III with respect to different status of E-cadherin expression. Furthermore, Correlation analysis showed level of E-cadherin correlated with that of beta-catenin (P=0.005). Cox proportional hazards model analysis suggested downregulation of E-cadherin was an important factor indicating poor prognosis.


CONCLUSIONS
As a probable independent prognostic factor, it correlates with overall and disease free survival period, expression of E-cadherin but not beta-catenin may predict prognosis in patients with ESCC.
Zhao
Xi-Jiang
XJ
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Cancer Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tiyuanbei Street, Block Hexi, Tianjin 300060, China. zhaoxij@china.com
Li
Hui
H
Chen
Hua
H
Liu
Yan-Xue
YX
Zhang
Li-Hua
LH
Liu
Su-Xiang
SX
Feng
Qing-Lai
QL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism*; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism*; D051176:beta Catenin
C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051176:beta Catenin