Simultaneous immunohistochemical localization of beta-catenin and cyclin D1 in differentiated but not in undifferentiated human endometrial carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
Beta-catenin plays dual important roles in epithelial cell-cell adhesion in cytoplasm as well as in the nuclear T-cell factor (TCF)/lymphoid enhancing factor-1 (LEF-1) signaling pathway. Abnormal nuclear accumulation of beta-catenin promotes colorectal carcinogenesis by triggering the expression of cyclin D1 gene through the TCF/LEF-1 pathway. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible involvement of the TCF/LEF-1 pathway in endometrial carcinogenesis.


METHODS
Immunohistochemical localization of beta-catenin and cyclin D1 in normal endometrium, hyperplastic endometrium and endometrial carcinoma were assessed on serial tissue sections.


RESULTS
Nuclear accumulation of beta-catenin was observed in endometrial carcinomas compared with normal endometria. Cyclin D1-positive endometrial cancer cases were beta-catenin-positive in the nuclei, especially in 70% (7/10) of G1 and 55.6% (5/9) of G2 differentiated endometrial carcinomas, but never in G3 undifferentiated ones.


CONCLUSIONS
These results imply that the simultaneous nuclear accumulation of beta-catenin and cyclin D1--suggesting the activation of the TCF/LEF-1 pathway--may be a potential marker for the progression of Type 1 endometrial carcinogenesis.
Narita
F
F
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.
Sato
A
A
Hamana
S
S
Deguchi
M
M
Otani
T
T
Maruo
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019938:Cyclin D1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism*; D051176:beta Catenin
C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051176:beta Catenin; D019938:Cyclin D1