Study of the Expression of E-cadherin, beta-catenin, and c-Met in Gastric Adenocarcinomas.
10.5230/jkgca.2001.1.2.92
- Author:
Seong Jin CHO
1
;
Min Kyung KIM
;
Bong Kyung SHIN
;
Youn Ki MIN
;
Min Young CHO
;
Sung Ock SUH
;
Nam Hee WON
;
Yang Seok CHAE
Author Information
1. Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Korea. chaeys@kuccnx.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
c-Met;
E-cadherin;
beta-catenin;
Gastric adenocarcinoma;
Immunohistochemistry
- MeSH:
Adenocarcinoma*;
alpha Catenin;
beta Catenin*;
Cadherins*;
Immunohistochemistry;
Lymph Nodes;
Neoplasm Metastasis;
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met;
Signal Transduction;
Stomach Neoplasms
- From:Journal of the Korean Gastric Cancer Association
2001;1(2):92-99
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: E-cadherin is an adhesion molecule essential for tight connection between cells, forming the cadherin/catenin complex. Truncated beta-catenin disrupts the interaction between E-cadherin and alpha-catenin, leading to the loss of intercellular adhesion. Met protein, the hepatocyte growth factor receptor, plays important roles in signal transduction. We investigated the relationships between the expressions of E-cadherin, beta-catenin, and c-met protein and the clinicopathological and prognostic parameters in gastric adenocarcinomas. MATENRIALS AND METHODS: The patterns of E-cadherin, beta- catenin, and c-met protein expression were studied using immunohistochemistry in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded archival tissues from 76 surgically resected gastric adenocarcinomas. RESULTS: Increased expressions of E-cadherin, beta-catenin, and c-met were more significantly correlated in early gastric cancers (EGC) than in advanced gastric cancers (AGC) (P=0.002, P=0.003 and P=0.026). The positive immunoreactivities of all three markers were markedly lower in signet ring-cell type and poorly differentiated type lesions than in intestinal-type lesions. Decreased expression of the beta-catenin protein correlated well with increased tumor invasion depth (P=0.039), and increased lymph node metastasis correlated well with reduced expression of c-met (P=0.046). CONCLUSION: In gastric cancers, reduced expressions of the E-cadherin, beta-catenin, and c-met proteins may play some role in poorer tumor differentiation, deeper tumor invasion, and increased lymph node metastasis. Also, the c-met gene is thought to play a specific role in the mechanism of the yet unknown catenin action.
