title: Aberrant distributions and relationships among E-cadherin, beta-catenin, and connexin 26 and 43 in endometrioid adenocarcinomas.
abstract: During carcinogenesis, loss of intracellular cohesion is observed among cancer cells with altered expression of such adhesion molecules as E-cadherin and beta-catenin, and aberrant expression and cellular location of intercellular gap junction proteins-connexins. The aim of this study was to evaluate immunohistochemically the expression and relationship between E-cadherin and beta-catenin, and the connexins Cx26 and Cx43 in 86 endometrioid adenocarcinomas. The aberrant cytoplasmic translocation of the studied proteins was a predominant finding, whereas only a minority of cases showed normal, nuclear beta-catenin labeling or membranous distribution of the remaining molecules. E-cadherin was positively and significantly associated with beta-catenin (P=0.001, r=0.366), as was Cx26 with Cx43 (P<0.001, r=0.719), E-cadherin with Cx26 (P<0.001, r=0.413), and E-cadherin and Cx43 (P<0.001, r=0.434) in all cancers. A subgroup of endometrioid adenocarcinomas (FIGO IB+II) exclusively showed a positive significant association between the expression of beta-catenin and Cx26 (P=0.038, r=0.339). In addition, there were significantly more beta-catenin-positive carcinomas among superficially spreading cancers (FIGO IA) than among deeper invading neoplasms (FIGO IB+II) (P=0.056). The altered location of the studied proteins indicates impairment of their physiological functions. In particular, normal membranous distribution of E-cadherin and connexins is lost and replaced by abnormal cytoplasmic accumulation in most cancers, and thus intercellular ties are expected to be weakened and loosened as a consequence. In contrast, the lack of relationship between beta-catenin and connexins, E-cadherin seems to be closely associated with the expression of Cx26 and Cx43 in endometrioid adenocarcinomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Bialystok Oncology Center, Bialystok, Poland. ruahpolin@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wincewicz
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baltaziak
authors.forename: Luiza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kanczuga-Koda
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lesniewicz
authors.forename: Ryszard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rutkowski
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sobaniec-Lotowska
authors.forename: Stanislaw
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sulkowski
authors.forename: Mariusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koda
authors.forename: Mariola
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sulkowska
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018269:Carcinoma, Endometrioid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000072259:Connexin 26; D018031:Connexin 43 / Q000378:metabolism*; D017630:Connexins / Q000378:metabolism*; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D018031:Connexin 43; D017630:Connexins; C000607042:GJB2 protein, human; D051176:beta Catenin; D000072259:Connexin 26