title: beta-catenin nuclear localization is associated with grade in ovarian serous carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  beta-Catenin has been previously associated with oncogenic activity in human cancers. We evaluated whether beta-catenin also plays a role in papillary serous ovarian neoplasms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemistry for beta-catenin was performed on the primary ovarian serous neoplasms of 105 women. Of these, 10 were low malignant potential (LMP) serous tumors, and 95 were serous cancers. Nuclear beta-catenin staining was correlated with grade of tumor and median survival. OVCAR-3, OVCA-420, OVCA-432, and MDAH-277-10c were evaluated for beta-catenin localization and transfected with a T-cell factor (TCF) responsive reporter to evaluate beta-catenin transcriptional activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 105 serous tumors, 13 (12.3%) demonstrated beta-catenin nuclear staining. Eleven of 48 high-grade serous carcinomas (23.0%) demonstrated nuclear staining compared with 1 low-grade serous carcinoma (2.1%) (P = 0.006). One LMP tumor had nuclear staining. beta-Catenin nuclear localization was undetectable in the cell lines tested. Furthermore, transient transfection of the cell lines with a TCF-responsive reporter did not demonstrate significant constitutive transcriptional activation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found a statistically significant correlation between beta-catenin nuclear localization and ovarian high-grade serous carcinomas. Thus, deregulation of beta-catenin may play a role in the pathogenesis of ovarian high-grade serous carcinomas in contrast to ovarian low-grade serous carcinomas and LMP serous tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX 77030, Houston, USA
authors.forename: Christine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hyun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shvartsman
authors.forename: Michael T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Deavers
authors.forename: Shao-Chun
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Weiya
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Rosemarie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schmandt
authors.forename: Diane C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Bodurka
authors.forename: E Neely
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Atkinson
authors.forename: Anais
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malpica
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Gershenson
authors.forename: Mien-Chie
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Karen H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D018283:Cystadenocarcinoma, Papillary / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D051176:beta Catenin
chemical_list: C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051176:beta Catenin