Expression and clinical significance of Wnt-1 and beta-catenin in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
As signaling molecule and key component of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway respectively, Wnt-1 and beta-catenin are abnormally expressed in several malignancies and correlate with poor prognosis. This study was to investigate the expression and clinical significance of Wnt-1 and beta-catenin in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).


METHODS
The expression of Wnt-1 and beta-catenin in 111 specimens of NPC was detected by SP immunohistochemistry. Their correlations to relapse-free survival (RFS), metastasis-free survival (MFS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were analyzed.


RESULTS
The high expression of beta-catenin was observed in 64 (57.7%) of the 111 cases. Its high expression rate was significantly higher in advanced NPC than in early stage NPC (63.1% vs. 40.7%, p = 0.041). The RFS, MFS and PFS were lower in high beta-catenin expression group than in low beta-catenin expression group (p < 0.05). Cox regression analysis demonstrated that beta-catenin was related to poor prognosis of NPC patients. The high expression of Wnt-1 was observed in 68 (61.3%) of the 111 cases, but its expression had no effect on RFS, MFS and PFS (p > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway may be activated abnormally in some NPC patients. beta-catenin may be a prognostic factor of NPC.
Wang
Fei-Li
FL
State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China.
Guo
Xiang
X
Yuan
Tai-Ze
TZ
Cao
Su-Mei
SM
Rao
Hui-Lan
HL
Hou
Jing-Hui
JH
Shao
Qiong
Q
Li
Ning-Wei
NW
Hong
Ming-Huang
MH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051155:Wnt1 Protein / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology
D051155:Wnt1 Protein; D051176:beta Catenin