title: β-catenin (CTNNB1) mutations are not associated with prognosis in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Mutation of the exon 3 of CTNNB1, the coding gene of β-catenin, is a crucial molecular mechanism leading to aberrant activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, which is highly associated with the carcinogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The prevalence and clinical significance of CTNNB1 mutations in advanced HCC remain unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with advanced HCC and available pathologic tissues (either obtained when diagnosed at advanced or early stages) were enrolled in this study. Direct sequencing of exon 3 of CTNNB1 was performed to detect somatic mutations. The associations between CTNNB1 mutations and clinicopathologic features were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 115 patients were enrolled, among whom 78 (67.8%) had chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Twenty-one (18.3%) patients were found to have CTNNB1 mutations, all of which were missense mutations. The CTNNB1 mutation rates were similar among pathologic tissues obtained at advanced and early stages (17.5 and 20.0%, respectively). Patients aged over 60 years were more likely to have CTNNB1 mutations than patients younger than 60 years (32.6 vs. 8.7%, p = 0.001). The mutations were not associated with survival or other clinicopathologic features.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with advanced HCC, CTNNB1 mutations were not prognostically significant. No apparent increase of CTNNB1 mutations occurred during the progression of HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Yun-Lin Branch, Yunlin, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Li-Chun
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Yu-Yun
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Yi-Hsuan
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Min-Shu
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Chi-Huang
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hsiao
authors.forename: Hsiao-Hui
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Hsiang-Fong
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: Yu-Yi
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Feng-Chu
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.forename: Ann-Lii
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Chih-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hsu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D055815:Young Adult; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D051176:beta Catenin