Immunohistochemical alpha- and beta-catenin and E-cadherin expression and their clinicopathological significance in human lung adenocarcinoma.
The E-cadherin/catenin complex (alpha-catenin, beta-catenin, and E-cadherin) plays a crucial role in cell-cell adhesion and tissue remodeling, and abnormalities in these molecules have been suggested to participate in the proliferation and invasive and metastatic potentials of several human carcinomas. However, in human lung adenocarcinomas, its importance has not yet been sufficiently investigated. We immunohistochemically examined the expressions of E-cadherin/catenin complex in 35 primary lung adenocarinomas, and evaluated their expressions in a semiquantitative manner. Correlations between these expression levels, MIB-1 and nuclear p53 indices, and clinicopathological factors were analyzed by subdividing the cases into high- and low-expression groups for each protein. The reduction in membranous E-cadherin/catenin complex expression correlated significantly with low-grade histological differentiation and with high MIB-1 index. Survival analyses were also performed to clarify which factors potentially affected the prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma patients. The low expression of beta-catenin and the high MIB-1 index had a significantly unfavorable influence on the patients' survival. Moreover, the immunohistochemical expression of beta-catenin by cancer cells and MIB-1 index are considered useful prognostic factors for lung adenocarcinoma.
Nozawa
Nobuyoshi
N
Department of Pathophysiological and Experimental Pathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Maidashi, Fukuoka, Japan.
Hashimoto
Shuichi
S
Nakashima
Yutaka
Y
Matsuo
Yoshio
Y
Koga
Takaomi
T
Sugio
Kenji
K
Niho
Yoshiyuki
Y
Harada
Mine
M
Sueishi
Katsuo
K
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D015820:Cadherins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D049671:History, 18th Century; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051178:alpha Catenin / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015820:Cadherins; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051178:alpha Catenin; D051176:beta Catenin