beta-catenin nuclear localization is associated with grade in ovarian serous carcinoma.
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.
Lee
Christine M
CM
Department of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX 77030, Houston, USA
Shvartsman
Hyun
H
Deavers
Michael T
MT
Wang
Shao-Chun
SC
Xia
Weiya
W
Schmandt
Rosemarie
R
Bodurka
Diane C
DC
Atkinson
E Neely
EN
Malpica
Anais
A
Gershenson
David M
DM
Hung
Mien-Chie
MC
Lu
Karen H
KH
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
C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051176:beta Catenin