title: Reduced expression of catenin subtypes is a potential indicator of unfavorable prognosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: Catenins are cytoplasmic proteins that play a pivotal role in cell adhesion. Conflicting results regarding the significance of their expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) have been reported. The expression of α-, β- and γ-catenin was examined using immunohistochemical methods in 69 samples collected from patients with ESCC who were surgically treated without any preoperative induction therapy. Reduced α-, β- and γ-catenin expression was observed in 48 (69.7%), 36 (52.2%) and 44 (63.8%) ESCC samples, respectively. According to univariate analysis, ESCC patients exhibiting the reduced expression of β-catenin (P=0.028), γ-catenin (P=0.010), α- and γ-catenin combined (P=0.047) or β- and γ-catenin combined (P=0.046) had a significantly more unfavorable rate of survival. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the reduced expression of γ-catenin (P=0.015) as well as lymph node metastasis (P=0.015) could serve as independent prognostic indicators of unfavorable prognosis in ESCC patients. Reduced immunohistochemical expression of γ-catenin may thus prove to be a powerfull and useful predictor of prognosis in patients with ESCC.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu 807-8555, Japan. paper7777@yahoo.co.jp.
authors.forename: Tadahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nozoe
authors.forename: Tsunehiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oyama
authors.forename: Hidetaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uramoto
authors.forename: Mistuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takenoyama
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hanagiri
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugio
authors.forename: Kosei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yasumoto