The Correlations of E-Cadherin Catenin Complex(alpha, beta, gamma, p120cat) Expressions and Clinicopathological Findings in Tongue Cancer.
- Author:
Woo Young SHIM
1
;
Soo Geun WANG
;
Byung Joo LEE
;
Hwan Jung RHO
;
Eui Kyung GOH
;
Kyong Myong CHON
;
Do Youn PARK
Author Information
1. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, College of Medicine, Pusan National University, Busan, Korea. wangsg@pusan.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
E-cadherin;
Tongue cancer;
Histopathology;
Prognosis
- MeSH:
alpha Catenin;
Antibodies, Monoclonal;
beta Catenin;
Cadherins*;
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell;
Catenins;
Cell Membrane;
Cell Nucleus;
Cytoplasm;
Drug Therapy;
Epithelial Cells;
gamma Catenin;
Humans;
Kaplan-Meier Estimate;
Prognosis;
Radiotherapy;
Tongue Neoplasms*;
Tongue*
- From:Korean Journal of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
2004;47(10):1004-1012
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: E-cadherin and catenins (alpha, beta, gamma, p120cat) are important epithelial adhesion molecules in normal epithelial cells. Loss of E-cadherin-catenin adhesion is an important step in the progression of epithelial cancers such as tongue cancer. E-cadherin and catenins expression in carcinoma of human tongue was evaluated in relation to their clinicopathological features and prognostic values. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Thirty-nine specimens of tongue squamous cell carcinoma were examined in this study. These patients were all treated by primary surgery without prior radiotherapy or chemotherapy. The specimens of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tumor tissues were investigated by immunohistochemical analysis using E-cadherin and catenin (alpha, beta, gamma, p120cat) monoclonal antibodies. RESULTS: The expressions of E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, beta-catenin, gamma-catenin and p120cat in cell membranes were reduced or absent in 71.8%, 74.4%, 76.9%, 59.0% and 82.1% of the tumors examined, respectively. The reduced expressions of alpha-catenin and gamma-catenin in the cell membranes was cor-related with tumore differentiation (p=0.018, p=0.004, respectively). There were significant correlations between E-cadherin and expressions of the four cantenins in the cell membranes of tongue cancer. There were no correlations between beta-catenin and p120cat expression in the cytoplasm, cell nucleus and clinicopathological features. There was significant correlation between E-cadherin expression and Kaplan-Meier survival curves. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that E-cadherin and catenins (alpha, beta, gamma, p120cat) can be used as prognostic markers of human tongue squamous cell carninoma. The result of beta-catenin and p120cat absence in the nucleus suggests that Wnt/Wingless signaling or Kaiso transcription did not occur in the human tongue squamous cell carcinoma.
