title: Expression of Wnt-5a and β-catenin in primary hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: It has been reported that changes in Wnt5a expression are closely related to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development, while decreased or abnormal β-catenin expression may promote the invasion and metastasis of tumor cells. In this study, the roles and clinical significance of Wnt-5a and β-catenin expression were analyzed in primary HCC. Real-time PCR (RT-PCR) analysis of Wnt-5a mRNA expression was performed in 26 fresh HCC samples and the corresponding para-carcinoma tissues. Wnt-5a and β-catenin protein expression was detected by immunohistochemical staining of paraffin-embedded tissues of 85 cases of HCC and corresponding para-carcinoma tissues and 15 cases of hepatic cirrhosis. Results showed that Wnt-5a mRNA levels were significantly higher in HCC tissue than in the para-carcinoma tissue (0.102 ± 0.159 and 0.020 ± 0.022, respectively; P < 0.05), while Wnt-5a protein was absent or low in HCC. Wnt-5a expression was detected in significantly fewer HCC tissue samples than in the para-carcinoma and hepatic cirrhosis tissue samples (21.2% (18/85), 81.26% (69/85) and 86.7% (13/15), respectively; P < 0.01). Abnormal localization of β-catenin protein shown by intracytoplasmic or intranuclear staining was observed in 72.94% (62/85) of HCC samples. These observations indicate that the role of Wnt-5a in HCC is mediated at the protein level rather than the transcriptional level. Furthermore, the abnormal localization of β-catenin observed in HCC tissues may be associated with gene mutation leading to the generation of truncated β-catenin proteins, which in turn, may represent an initiating or contributing factor in the development of HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Jinan Military Command Jinan 250031, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Peifeng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Jinan Military Command Jinan 250031, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Yongcheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: General Hospital of Jinan Military Command Jinan 250031, China.
authors.forename: Yamin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Jinan Military Command Jinan 250031, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Luting
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Jinan Military Command Jinan 250031, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Xiaohong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Jinan Military Command Jinan 250031, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Geng
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000071818:Wnt-5a Protein; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; C085389:WNT5A protein, human; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D000071818:Wnt-5a Protein; D051176:beta Catenin
keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; RT-PCR; Wnt-5a; immunohistochemistry; β-catenin