title: Relationship between E-cadherin gene mutation and p53 gene mutation, p53 accumulation, Bcl-2 expression and Ki-67 staining in diffuse-type gastric carcinoma.
abstract: E-cadherin mutations are found in 50% of diffuse-type gastric carcinoma, but not in intestinal gastric carcinoma. Because cell-cell adhesion mediated by E-cadherin plays an important role in epithelial cell survival, E-cadherin mutations could alter the apoptotic behavior of tumor cells. p53 and Bcl-2 family members are also important regulators of cellular apoptosis. This is the first study that investigates the relationship between E-cadherin gene mutation and p53 gene mutation, p53 accumulation, Bcl-2 expression, and Ki-67 expression in diffuse-type gastric carcinoma (24 cases, E-cadherin mutation status: wild-type in 8 patients and mutant in 16 patients). The mutation status of exons 5-8 of p53 was analyzed by denaturing high pressure liquid chromatography (DHPLC) in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor sections, followed by direct sequencing of cases with aberrant chromatographic patterns. p53 mutations were found in 1 of 8 tumors without E-cadherin mutation (12.5%) and in 1 of 16 tumors with E-cadherin mutation (6.3%), a difference that was not statistically significant (p = 1.00). p53 accumulation was found in 8 of 24 tumors (33.3%) by immunohistochemical staining. p53 accumulation was significantly more frequent in tumors without E-cadherin mutations (5 of 8 tumors, 62.5%) than in gastric carcinoma tissues with E-cadherin mutations (3 of 16 tumors, 18.8%, p = 0.03). Bcl-2 staining was not observed in gastric carcinoma cells without E-cadherin mutations, but was detectable in 5 of 16 tumors with E-cadherin mutations (31.3%), a difference that was not statistically significant (p = 0.13). No relationship was observed between Ki-67 staining and the E-cadherin mutation status (p = 1.00). These data suggest that the presence of E-cadherin mutations can significantly alter the accumulation of the apoptosis-regulating p53 protein, whereas no correlation with the p53 mutation status or with Ki-67 staining was observed.
authors.affiliation: Technische Universität München, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Institut für Allgemeine Pathologie und Pathologische Anatomie, München, Germany.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fricke
authors.forename: Gisela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rosivatz
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schott
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Plaschke
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rudelius
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hermannstädter
authors.forename: Raymonde
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Busch
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Höfler
authors.forename: Karl-Friedrich
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Luber
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D005091:Exons / Q000235:genetics; D019254:Genes, bcl-2; D016158:Genes, p53; D006801:Humans; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000032:analysis*; D009154:Mutation; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53