title: Aberrant β-catenin expression in urothelial carcinomas in blackfoot disease-endemic areas.
abstract: Arsenic is a well-known toxic element and carcinogenic agent. The aim of this study was to investigate p63, E-cadherin, and β-catenin proteins in urothelial carcinoma (UC) in both arsenic contaminated areas [so-called blackfoot disease (BFD) area] and non-BFD areas. The expressions of p63, E-cadherin, and β-catenin proteins in 20 UC cases of blackfoot disease and 22 UC cases in non-BFD areas were detected using immunohistochemical methods. The results revealed a high p63 expression in 20 (47.6%) UC cases and high E-cadherin expression in six (14.3%) UC cases. Expressions of p63 and E-cadherin showed no significant correlations with clinicopathologic parameters. However, all 20 BFD cases and 12 of 22 (54.5%) non-BFD cases showed aberrant β-catenin expression. Ten out of 22 (45.5%) non-BFD cases also had normal membranous immunoreactivity. The β-catenin staining pattern significantly differed between cases in endemic and nonendemic areas of BFD (p=0.001). Tumor sites also significantly correlated with β-catenin expression (p=0.044). In addition, membranous localization of β-catenin was lower in UC from BFD-endemic areas compared with those from non-BFD endemic areas. In conclusion, it is suggested that relocalization of β-catenin from membrane to cytoplasm may be involved in the tumorigenesis of UC from BFD-endemic areas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Ting
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chun-Chieh
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Xuan-Ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Electronic address: cychai@kmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Chee-Yin
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chai
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD; D001151:Arsenic / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D021381:Protein Transport; D013624:Taiwan; D014571:Urologic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019459:Urothelium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000302:isolation & purification; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; C513384:CDH1 protein, human; C081876:CKAP4 protein, human; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D051176:beta Catenin; D001151:Arsenic
keywords: Arsenic; Blackfoot disease; E-cadherin; Urothelial carcinoma; β-catenin