title: Expression of beta-catenin in hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The beta-catenin has been recognized as a critical member of the Wnt signaling pathway and plays an important role in the generation/differentiation of many tissues. Inappropriate activation of this pathway has been implicated in carcinogenesis. The mechanism underlying the development as well as its prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has remained unclear. The purpose of this study is to analyze the expression of beta-catenin in HCC in relation to histological grades and viral hepatitis backgrounds.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-two sections were selected at random from autopsy and surgical cases of HCC. Immunohistologically, the location and positivity of beta-catenin expression in HCC was examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Normal hepatocytes did not express beta-catenin. In 78% of HCC beta-catenin was expressed at the membrane of the cells, with or without cytoplasmic and/or nuclear expression. The tumor cells with well- and moderately-differentiated grades expressed frequently at the membrane and cytoplasm compared with poorly-differentiated type. Nuclear expression of beta-catenin was prone to occur in the tumor cells of poorly-differentiated grade. There were 15% of hepatitis C virus (HCV) backgrounds with nuclear expression. In contrast, there was 38% with nuclear expression in hepatitis B virus (HBV) backgrounds. In nonB-nonC hepatitis, no case expressed nuclear beta-catenin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The beta-catenin expression in HCC cells was heterogeneous among types of hepatitis viral infection. Wnt signaling pathway might be deeply involved in less-differentiated HCC and HBV background.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, National Nagasaki Medical Center, 2-1001-1 Kubara, Omura, Nagasaki 856-8562, Japan.
authors.forename: Liem Thanh
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Tien
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Mikiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakao
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Niino
authors.forename: Meirmanov
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Serik
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakashima
authors.forename: Chun-Yang
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yatsuhashi
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishibashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism*; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin
chemical_list: C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin