RImmunohistochemical Evaluation of E-cadherin/catenin (alpha-, beta-, gamma-catenin and p120CTN) Complex Expression in Early Gastric Cancer

Jo, Tae Yong; Jeon, Tae Yong; Chae, Kyu Hwang; Kim, Dong Heon; Sim, Moon Sup; Park, Do Youn; Suh, Kang Seuk

doi:2003.35.1.16

Cancer Research and Treatment > Volume 35(1); 2003 > Article

Original Article

Cancer Research and Treatment 2003;35(1): 16-24. doi: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2003.35.1.16

RImmunohistochemical Evaluation of E-cadherin/catenin (alpha-, beta-, gamma-catenin and p120CTN) Complex Expression in Early Gastric Cancer

Tae Yong Jo, Tae Yong Jeon, Kyu Hwang Chae, Dong Heon Kim, Moon Sup Sim, Do Youn Park, Kang Seuk Suh

¹Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Pusan NationalUniversity, Busan, Korea. JTY3@chollian.net
²Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Pusan NationalUniversity, Busan, Korea.

Published online: February 28, 2003.

ABSTRACT

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.

Key words: Stomach neoplasm;Cell adhesion;Cadherin;Catenin