title: Beta-catenin expression in uterine sarcomas and its relation to clinicopathological parameters.
abstract: Aberrations in the Wnt/beta-catenin signalling pathway are suggested as mediators of chromosomal instability and carcinogenesis. beta-catenin acts both as a component of the membranous adhesion system, and as a transcription activator in the nucleus. beta-Catenin immunoreactivity was evaluated in 353 uterine sarcomas (US) including 231 leiomyosarcomas (LMS), 82 endometrial stromal sarcomas (ESS), 22 adenosarcomas (AS) and 18 undifferentiated uterine sarcomas (UUS). Up-regulated membranous beta-catenin was observed in 25% of the LMS (p=0.039), 21% of the ESS (p=0.072) and 39% of the UUS (p=0.025). Cytoplasmic beta-catenin was up-regulated in 36% of the LMS (p=0.008) and 33% of the UUS (p=0.028). Nuclear beta-catenin expression was observed in 23% of the LMS (p=0.051), 61% of ESS (p=0.628) and in the sarcoma component of 68% of the AS. In patients with LMS, membranous beta-catenin was associated with poor crude survival in univariate (p=0.045), but not in multivariate analyses. In patients with ESS, nuclear beta-catenin expression was related to spread of tumour (p=0.033), but not to survival. The observation of up-regulated beta-catenin expression in US might suggest a so far undocumented role for the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway in these malignancies.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Informatics, Radiumhospitalet, Oslo University Hospital, Montebello, 0310 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Wanja
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kildal
authors.forename: Manohar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pradhan
authors.forename: Vera M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Abeler
authors.forename: Gunnar B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Kristensen
authors.forename: Håvard E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Danielsen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015854:Up-Regulation; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin