Prognostic and clinicopathological features of E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, beta-catenin, gamma-catenin and cyclin D1 expression in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the expression of E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, beta-catenin, gamma-catenin and cyclin D(1) in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), and analyze their interrelationship with clinicopathological variables and their effects on prognosis.


METHODS
Expression of E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, beta-catenin, gamma-catenin and cyclin D(1) was determined by EnVision or SABC immunohistochemical technique in patients with ESCC consecutively, their correlation with clinical characteristics was evaluated and analyzed by univariate analysis.


RESULTS
The reduced expression rate of E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, beta-catenin and gamma-catenin was 88.7%, 69.4%, 35.5% and 53.2%, respectively. Cyclin D1 positive expression rate was 56.5%. Expression of gamma-catenin was inversely correlated with the degree of tumor differentiation and lymph node metastasis (chi(2) = 4.183 and chi(2) = 5.035, respectively, P<0.05), whereas the expression of E-cadherin was correlated only with the degree of differentiation (chi(2) = 5.769, P<0.05). Reduced expression of E-cadherin and gamma-catenin was associated with poor differentiation of tumor, reduced expression of gamma-catenin was also associated with lymph node metastasis. There obviously existed an inverse correlation between level of E-cadherin and gamma-catenin protein and survival. The 3-year survival rates were 100% and 56% in E-cadherin preserved expression group and in reduced expression one and were 78% and 48% in gamma-catenin preserved expression group and in reduced expression one, respectively. The differences were both statistically significant. Correlation analysis showed the expression level of alpha-catenin correlated with that of E-cadherin and beta-catenin (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The reduced expression of E-cadherin and gamma-catenin, but not alpha-catenin, beta-catenin and cyclin D1, implies more aggressive malignant behaviors of esophageal carcinoma cells and predicts the poor prognosis of patients.
Department of Medical Oncology, Tumor Hospital, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515031, Guangdong Province, China. linyingcheng@medmail.com.cn
Ying-Cheng
YC
Lin
Ming-Yao
MY
Wu
De-Rui
DR
Li
Xian-Ying
XY
Wu
Rui-Ming
RM
Zheng
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D019938:Cyclin D1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051180:Desmoplakins; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism; D051178:alpha Catenin; D051176:beta Catenin; D051185:gamma Catenin
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C495273:CTNNA1 protein, human; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D051180:Desmoplakins; C495292:JUP protein, human; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051178:alpha Catenin; D051176:beta Catenin; D051185:gamma Catenin; D019938:Cyclin D1