title: E-cadherin, beta-catenin adhesion complex and relation to matrilysin expression in pT3 rectosigmoid cancers.
abstract: E-cadherin/beta-catenin complex has a critical role in cell-cell adhesion. beta-Catenin is a critical component of the highly conserved Wnt signaling pathway that regulates cell proliferation and differentiation. Wnt signaling leads to the stabilization of cytosolic beta-catenin and to translocation to the nucleus, where it binds with T-cell factor and promotes the transcription and changes in target gene expression, including matrix metalloproteinases. In this study, we analyzed paraffin-embedded specimens from 42 patients with pT3 rectosigmoid cancer for E-cadherin, beta-catenin, and matrix metalloproteinase-7(MMP-7, matrilysin) expression using immunohistochemistry. Seventy-four and 79% of tumors expressed beta-catenin and E-cadherin, respectively. Nuclear expression of beta-catenin was detected only in 26.1% of tumors. Forty-five percent of the rectosigmoid cancers showed strong expression of MMP-7. It was revealed that membranous or cytoplasmic beta-catenin expression was significantly related to E-cadherin and MMP-7 expression. No significant association was seen between E-cadherin, beta-catenin, or MMP-7 expression and some clinicopathologic features. Our results may contribute to the functional interaction between beta-catenin and MMP-7. Further studies on Wnt/beta-catenin and MMP-7 gene activity and protein expression are necessary to better understand the pathogenesis of colorectal carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey. fhdilek@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Fatma Hüsniye
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Dilek
authors.forename: Nevin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Topak
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aktepe
authors.forename: Onder
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.forename: Kadir Serkan
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Türel
authors.forename: Dursun Ali
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.forename: Osman Nuri
authors.initials: ON
authors.lastname: Dilek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015820:Cadherins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D020783:Matrix Metalloproteinase 7 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D051176:beta Catenin; D020783:Matrix Metalloproteinase 7