Expression of the cell-cell adhesion molecule beta-catenin in colorectal carcinomas and their metastases.

Abstract

To study the dynamic events leading to impaired cell-cell adhesion upon transition to the invasive phenotype of colorectal cancer (CRC), we examined three distinct beta-catenin expression patterns (membranous, cytoplasmic, and nuclear) in the paired samples of the primary tumours (P) and their metastatic lesions (M). beta-catenin expression was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in 33 pairs of the primary CRC and their metastases. In a pair-wise (P-M) comparison, the membranous index (MI) was significantly different between P and M (p=0.036, Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks test), while cytoplasmic index (CI) and nuclear index (NI) values did not significantly deviate between P and M. MI in primary tumours was inversely related to the patient's age (p=0.04) and tumour grade (p=0.03), while patients with low MI in M had a high rate of metastasis at diagnosis (p=0.06). CI in P was lower in patients with LN involvement (p=0.02) and in advanced tumour stage (p=0.002). Tumours of the ascending colon had the highest CI in their M (p=0.04). Interestingly, high MI of the M lesions was a significant predictor of favourable overall survival (OS) in univariate (Kaplan-Meier) survival analysis (p=0.035). In conclusion, significant aberrations in beta-catenin expression probably take place in CRC cells during the development of metastatic phenotype, but a change from membrane expression to cytoplamic and/or nuclear expression is not a prerequisite for metastasis in all cases.

• Authors: A Buhmeida, A Elzagheid, A Algars, Y Collan, K Syrjänen, S Pyrhönen
• Journal: APMIS : acta pathologica, microbiologica, et immunologica Scandinavica (APMIS) Vol. 116 Issue 1 Pg. 1-9 (Jan 2008) ISSN: 0903-4641 [Print] Denmark
• PMID: 18254773 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• beta Catenin

Topics

• Cell Adhesion
• Cell Membrane (metabolism)
• Cell Nucleus (metabolism)
• Colorectal Neoplasms (metabolism, pathology)
• Cytoplasm (metabolism)
• Female
• Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
• Humans
• Immunohistochemistry
• Male
• Neoplasm Invasiveness
• Neoplasm Metastasis
• Neoplasm Recurrence, Local (metabolism)
• Prognosis
• Survival Analysis
• beta Catenin (biosynthesis)