No abstract available.
Aspirin* ; beta Catenin*

PURPOSE: The significance of abnormal E-cadherin/ catenin complex expression and the correlation of each of its components in cancer remain unclear. This study aimed to characterize the clinical significance of the abnormal membrane expression of the E-cadherin/ catenin complex and the localization patterns of the beta- catenin and p120CTN in early gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining for E-cadherin, alpha-, beta- and gamma-catenin and p120CTN were performed on 47 early gastric cancer specimens. The patterns of membrange expression of the E-cadherin/catenin complex, and the localization patterns of the beta-catenin and p120CTN, were semi quantitatively graded as loss, reduced, preserved or negative and positive. RESULTS: An abnormal immunoreactivity of at least one of E-cadherin/catenin complex proteins was noted in 46 (97.8%) of the 47 early gastric cancer cases. There were no significant correlations of the membrane E-cadherin/catenin expression with, either, sex, age, location, size, macroscopic type, depth of invasion or lymphovascular invasion. Abnormal expressions of membrane E-cadherin, beta-catenin and gamma-catenin were more frequent in the diffuse-type than in the intestinal type. No linear correlation was shown for the beta-catenin between the membrane and cytoplasmic expressions. Nuclear staining of the beta-catenin was observed in 5 (10.6%) cases, but nuclear staining of the p120CTN, a promotor of Kaiso transcriptional factor, was not seen. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that alterations of the E-cadherin/catenin complex may be involved in the early stages of gastric cancer. Although beta-catenin functions as a transcriptional factor, the inactivation of membrane E-cadherin does not appear to result in significant increases in the level of cytoplasmic beta-catenin. Kaiso transcriptional factor may not be involved in the early carcinogenesis of gastric cancer.
beta Catenin ; Cadherins ; Carcinogenesis ; Cell Adhesion ; Cytoplasm ; gamma Catenin* ; Membranes ; Stomach Neoplasms*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the correlation of the expression of E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, beta-catenin and the clinicopathological features in endometrial cancer (EC) and atypical complex endometrial hyperplasia (ACEH). METHODS: Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, beta-catenin was performed in tissues of 6 ACEHs, 44 endometrioid ECs. We analyzed the correlation of the expression of IHC staining with the prognostic factors according to tumor stage of ACEH and EC, histopathologic grade, and myometrial invasion. RESULTS: According to tumor stage, reduced E-cadherin expression and abnormal alpha-catenin expression were observed more frequently in advanced stage (reduced E-cadherin: ACEH 0%, stage I-II 47.2%, stage III-IV 62.5%, p=0.050; abnormal alpha-catenin: ACEH 0%, stage I-II 27.8%, stage III-IV 62.5%, p=0.035). All of the IHC staining showed no correlation with the depth of myometrial invasion but showed correlation with presence of myometrial invasion (reduced E-cadherin: invasion(-) 14.3%, invasion(+) 66.7%, p =0.001; abnormal alpha-catenin: invasion(-) 7.1%, invasion (+) 46.0%, p=0.010; abnormal beta-catenin: invasion(-) 7.1%, invasion(+) 63.0%, p=0.000). According to histological differentiation only abnormal beta-catenin expression shows relationship with histopathologic grade (grade 1:23.1%, grade 2:60%, grade 3:62.5%, p=0.039). CONCLUSION: Expression of E-cadherin and alpha-catenin showed significantly more reduced expression in EC than in ACEH, and more reduced expression in advanced stage, myometrial invasion and high histopathologic grade. And alpha-catenin showed more frequent abnormal expression in advanced stage, myometrial invasion and beta-catenin showed more frequent in myometrial invasion, high histopathologic grade significantly. These results suggests that the expression of E-cadherin and alpha-catenin, beta-catenin in EC and ACEH could be related to prognosis of the tumor.
alpha Catenin ; beta Catenin ; Cadherins* ; Endometrial Hyperplasia* ; Endometrial Neoplasms* ; Female ; Prognosis

The E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, and beta-catenin expressions were immunohistochemically investigated in paraffin-embedded materials of 80 cases of colorectal adenocarcinomas. The staining similar to normal colorectal mucosa with preserved strong membranous staining pattern was considered normal or preserved expression. The X2 test was used to analyse the statistical correlation of cadherin/catenin expression with clinicopathologic parameters and the Breslow test for the correlation with survival length. Normal colorectal mucosa showed strong membranous expression of cadherin/catenin complex. The reduced E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, and beta-catenin expression were found in 53/80 (66.3%), 46/80 (57.5%), and 44/80 (55.5%) cases of colorectal cancers examined, respectively. There were significant correlations between E- cadherin and alpha -catenin (p=0.035), and between alpha-catenin and beta-catenin (p=0.013). The reduced E-cadherin expression was associated with histologic dedifferentiation, tumor depth, lymph node metastasis, clinical stage (p<0.05), poor clinical outcome in stage II (p=0.016) and the reduced alpha-catenin expression with lymph node metastasis and clinical stage (p<0.05). Reduced expression of two or more proteins was correlated with lymph node matastasis, histologic dedifferentiation, clinical stage, and survival (p<0.05). The present study demonstrates a significant down-regulation of E-cadherin and alpha-catenin expression in colorectal cancer is associated with tumor invasiveness, histologic dedifferentiation, lymph node metastasis, and clinical stage. These results suggest that E-cadherin and alpha-catenin may be useful markers of invasiveness, lymph node metastatic potential, and clinical stage and of value as prognostic markers in the earlier stage. Further studies are needed to confirm the prognostic value of these cadherin/catenin complex.
Adenocarcinoma* ; alpha Catenin* ; beta Catenin* ; Cadherins* ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Down-Regulation ; Lymph Nodes ; Mucous Membrane ; Neoplasm Metastasis

BACKGROUND: Pilomatricoma is a benign follicular tumor that is composed of basaloid cells, transitional cells and shadow cells. beta-Catenin is a 92-kDa protein, and it plays important roles in cell-cell adhesion at the cell membrane and signal transduction in the nucleus. beta-Catenin has recently been shown to play an important role in the formation of hair follicle-related tumors, including pilomatricoma. However, the pattern and the intracellular localization of the beta-Catenin expression are still controversial. OBJECTIVE: We wanted to evaluate the pattern and the intracellular localization of the beta-Catenin expression in pilomatricoma by performing immunohistochemical staining. METHODS: Twenty-seven paraffin-embedded tissue samples that were diagnosed as pilomatricoma were immunohistochemically stained with beta-Catenin antibody. RESULTS: Basaloid cells were found 15 samples of the total 27 pilomatricomas. All (15/15) of the basaloid cells strongly expressed beta-Catenin, but the transitional cells and the shadow cells did not. In the basaloid cells, the nuclei and membranes showed prominent beta-Catenin immunoreactivities, but the cytoplasm showed weak beta-Catenin immunoreactivity. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed that the nucleus and membrane of all the basaloid cells in the pilomatricomas showed a strong beta-Catenin expression, but the transitional cells and shadow cells showed negative beta-Catenin immunoreactivity.
beta Catenin ; Cell Membrane ; Cytoplasm ; Hair ; Membranes ; Pilomatrixoma ; Signal Transduction

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine the expression of E-cadherin, beta-catenin, Cdx2, MMP7 in gastric cancer and to evaluate the clinical significance of these molecules in tumor recurrence within 2 years of pT2 and N1/N2 gastric cancer. METHODS: In 122 patients who underwent radical resection of gastric cancer, we investigated the association between the expression of these molecules and clinicopathologic factors by immunohistochemistry. The included criteria were pT2 and N1 or N2 (6th AJCC TNM). RESULTS: The expression of MMP7 was significantly associated with N stage (N1 vs. N2) (P=0.011). The negative expression of beta-catenin was strongly correlated with tumor recurrence within a 2-year period. However, the expression of these molecules was not related with recurrent sites. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that negative expression of beta-catenin was an independent predictor for tumor recurrence within 2 years (OR 2.366; 95% CI 1.056~5.297; P=0.036). CONCLUSION: Negative expression of beta-catenin may serve as a significant indicator for predicting tumor recurrence within a 2-year period in pT2 and N1/N2 gastric cancer.
beta Catenin ; Cadherins ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Multivariate Analysis ; Recurrence ; Stomach Neoplasms

BACKGROUND: Although basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common human skin tumor, with calcification reportedly taking place in about 20% of all BCC cases, the pathogenesis of calcification in BCC has not yet been studied. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate factors related to the pathogenesis of calcification in BCC. METHODS: We performed immunohistochemical staining for beta-catenin, frizzled-2, BMP-4, osteopontin, osteocalcin, and osteonectin using frozen skin tissue from 15 cases of BCC with calcification and 11 cases of BCC without calcification. RESULTS: The expression of beta-catenin showed positive in 14 of the 15 cases in BCC with calcification, but negative in all 11 cases of BCC without calcification. The expression of frizzled-2 was observed in 14 of the 15 cases in BCC with calcification, and in 10 of the 11 cases in BCC without calcification. The difference did not reach statistical significance (p=0.236). The expression of BMP-4 was observed in all 26 samples of BCC, but the intensity of expression did not reach statistical significance between the two groups (p=0.293). Furthermore, osteopontin and osteocalcin showed no statistical significance between two the groups (p=0.567, p=0.401). The expression of osteonectin was observed in all of the BCC cases, and was stronger in BCC with calcification than in BCC without calcification (p=0.042). CONCLUSION: We suggest that the calcification in BCC might be related to the increase of beta-catenin expression and that osteonectin might also influence the process of calcification in BCC.
beta Catenin* ; Carcinoma, Basal Cell* ; Humans ; Osteocalcin* ; Osteonectin* ; Osteopontin* ; Skin

Calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumors (CEOTs) and ghost cell odontogenic tumors (GCOTs) are characteristic odontogenic origin epithelial tumors which produce calcifying materials from transformed epithelial tumor cells. CEOT is a benign odontogenic tumor composed of polygonal epithelial tumor cells that show retrogressive calcific changes, amyloid-like deposition, and clear cytoplasm. Differentially, GCOTs are a group of transient tumors characterized by ghost cell presence, which comprise calcifying cystic odontogenic tumor (CCOT), dentinogenic ghost cell tumor (DGCT), and ghost cell odontogenic carcinoma (GCOC), all derived from calcifying odontogenic cysts (COCs). There is considerable confusion about COCs and GCOTs terminology, but these lesions can be classified as COCs or GCOTs, based on their cystic or tumorous natures, respectively. GCOTs include ameloblastomatous tumors derived from dominant odontogenic cysts classified as CCOTs, ghost cell-rich tumors producing dentinoid materials as DGCTs, and the GCOT malignant counterpart, GCOCs. Many authors have reported CEOTs and GCOTs variably express keratins, beta-catenin, BCL-2, BSP, RANKL, OPG, Notch1, Jagged1, TGF-beta, SMADs, and other proteins. However, these heterogeneous lesions should be differentially diagnosed to allow for accurate tumor progression and prognosis prediction.
beta Catenin ; Cytoplasm ; Odontogenic Cyst, Calcifying* ; Odontogenic Cysts ; Odontogenic Tumors* ; Prognosis ; Transforming Growth Factor beta

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.
Adenocarcinoma* ; alpha Catenin ; beta Catenin* ; Cadherins* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met ; Signal Transduction ; Stomach Neoplasms

OBJECTIVEThis study was purposed to detect the expressions of &beta;-catenin and P-GSK-3 &beta; in Wnt signaling pathway of patients with mantle cell lymphoma(MCL), and investigate its relationship with the pathogenesis of MCL.

METHODSThe expression levels of &beta; -catenin protein and P-GSK-3 protein in mantle cell lymphoma and hyperplastic lymphadenitis were detected by using anti-&beta;-catenin, P-GSK-3&beta; polyclonal antibody and S-P staining technique.

RESULTSThe abnormal expression of &beta;-catenin protein(73.33%) in mantle cell lymphoma group was significantly higher than that (6.7%) in reactive lymph node hyperplasia group (P<0.05); and the positive rate of P-GSK-3 &beta;(66.67%) in mantle cell lymphoma group was significantly higher than that (16.67%) in reactive hyperplasia of lymph node group (P<0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that there was obvious positive correlation (R=0.852, P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe abnormal high expressions of &beta;-catenin and P-GSK-3 &beta; protein have been confirmed to appeare in mantle cell lymphoma.