title: Immunohistochemical Study of beta-catenin Expression between Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Cholangiocarcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  beta-catenin is an intracellular protein that is an integral component of the cadherin-mediated cell-cell interaction and a downstream transcriptional activator in the wnt signal transduction pathway. Inappropriate activation of beta-catenin has recently been implicated in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma. Nuclear beta-catenin expression is strongly associated with gene mutation. This study was designed to evaluate the pattern of beta-catenin expression between hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemical expression of beta-catenin was studied in 7 normal livers, 33 hepatocellular carcinomas and 20 cholangiocarcinomas, that were formalin fixed and paraffin embedded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  beta-catenin was expressed mainly in the cytoplasmic membrane of the normal hepatocytes and bile ducts. Nuclear expressions, not noted in the normal liver, were noted in 30% of the hepatocellular carcinomas and 10% of the cholangiocarcinomas. And, nuclear expression was more common in the high grade (50%) hepatocellular carcinomas than the low grade (18%) hepatocellular carcinomas (p<=0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The above results indicate that nuclear expression of beta-catenin is observed in the carcinoma but not the normal liver, and is associated with high grade liver carcinoma.
authors.forename: Ki Jung
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.forename: Weon Cheol
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Suck Chei
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Tae Hyeon
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Cholangiocarcinoma; Hepatocellular carcinoma; beta-catenin