title: Analysis of Wnt and β-catenin Expression in Advanced Colorectal Cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Wnt/β-catenin signaling plays an important role in colorectal cancer (CRC). Wnt has many sub-types and it is uncertain which of them affect progression of CRC.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analysed 201 patients who underwent curative surgery for CRC. We investigated the relationship between the expression of Wnt and β-catenin proteins and prognosis using immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The high expression of Wnt1 correlated with high expression of nuclear and cytoplasmic β-catenin (p=0.0004, p=0.02). The high expression of Wnt5a also correlated with high expression of membrane β-catenin (p=0.03). In multivariate analysis, lymph node metastasis (p=0.046) and high expression of nuclear β-catenin (p=0.04) were independent prognostic factors for survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The expression of nuclear β-catenin is a useful predictive marker in CRC. It is suggested that Wnt1 may be the main activator of the β-catenin signaling pathway and that Wnt5a may stabilize adherens junctions, thereby suppressing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Naohiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan kinugasa_tetsushi@med.kurume-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Tetsushi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kinugasa
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohshima
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Kotaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yuge
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Takafumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujino
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Sachiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shiraiwa
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Katagiri
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akagi
mesh_terms: D022005:Adherens Junctions / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery; D018450:Disease Progression; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway / Q000235:genetics*; D000071818:Wnt-5a Protein; D051155:Wnt1 Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; C495247:WNT1 protein, human; C085389:WNT5A protein, human; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D000071818:Wnt-5a Protein; D051155:Wnt1 Protein; D051176:beta Catenin
keywords: Wnt; colorectal cancer; β-catenin