title: Wnt pathway-related gene expression during malignant progression in ulcerative colitis.
abstract: Long-standing ulcerative colitis (UC) has been associated with a high risk of developing colonic adenocarcinoma. Importantly, both low- and high-grade dysplasia are strongly related to the presence or development of malignancy. The canonical Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway is of crucial importance in cancer development and progression, but its role in UC-related carcinogenesis remains to be determined. We evaluated the immunolabeling patterns of beta-catenin, as well as the products of Wnt-associated cancer genes E-cadherin, cyclin D1 and c-myc, along the dysplasia-carcinoma pathway in UC. For this purpose, immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed on 18 adenocarcinomas and 17 dysplasias, derived from 21 patients. We found that intracellular beta-catenin accumulation, the hallmark of Wnt signaling activation, is observed in dysplasia, together with enhanced labeling of nuclear protein cyclin D1 and reduction of membranous labeling of E-cadherin. c-myc displayed moderate immunolabeling in the (pre)malignant lesions. Thus, the Wnt pathway is activated in early stages of malignant progression in UC. Furthermore, upregulation of the oncogene cyclin D1 and downregulation of tumor suppressor E-cadherin also occurs in the (pre)neoplastic state. This may contribute to the high potential for malignant degeneration of dysplasia in UC-related colitis.
authors: Department of Pathology, Erasmus Medical Center, Dr. Molewaterplein 50, 3015GE Rotterdam, The Netherlands. h.vandekken@erasmusmc.nl
authors: Herman
authors: H
authors: van Dekken
authors: Josiane C
authors: JC
authors: Wink
authors: Kees J
authors: KJ
authors: Vissers
authors: Patrick F
authors: PF
authors: Franken
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Ruud Schouten
authors: Wim C
authors: WC
authors: J Hop
authors: Ernst J
authors: EJ
authors: Kuipers
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Fodde
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Janneke van der Woude
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D051153:Wnt Proteins