Prognostic and clinicopathological features of E-cadherin, α -catenin, β-catenin, γ-catenin and cyclin D1 expression in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the expression of E-cadherin, α-catenin, β-catenin, γ-catenin and cyclin D1 in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), and analyze their interrelationship with clinicopathological variables and their effects on prognosis. Methods: Expression of E-cadherin, α-catenin, β-catenin, γ-catenin and cyclin D1 was determined by EnVision or SABC immunohistochemical technique in patients with ESCC consecutively, their correlation with clinical characteristics was evaluated and analyzed by univariate analysis. Results: The reduced expression rate of E-cadherin, α-catenin, β-catenin and γ-catenin was 88.7%, 69.4%, 35.5% and 53.2%, respectively. Cyclin D1 positive expression rate was 56.5%. Expression of γ-catenin was inversely correlated with the degree of tumor differentiation and lymph node metastasis (χ2 = 4.183 and χ2 = 5.035, respectively, P<0.05), whereas the expression of E-cadherin was correlated only with the degree of differentiation (χ2 = 5.769, P<0.05). Reduced expression of E-cadherin and γ-catenin was associated with poor differentiation of tumor, reduced expression of γ-catenin was also associated with lymph node metastasis. There obviously existed an inverse correlation between level of E-cadherin and γ-catenin protein and survival. The 3-year survival rates were 100% and 56% in E-cadherin preserved expression group and in reduced expression one and were 78% and 48% in γ-catenin preserved expression group and in reduced expression one, respectively. The differences were both statistically significant. Correlation analysis showed the expression level of α-catenin correlated with that of E-cadherin and β -catenin (P<0.05). Conclusion: The reduced expression of E-cadherin and γ-catenin, but not α-catenin, β-catenin and cyclin D1, implies more aggresive malignant behaviors of esophagel carcinoma cells and predict the poor prognosis of patients. clinicopathological features of E-cadherin, α-catenin, β-catenin, γ-catenin and cyclin D1 expression in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Copyright © 2004 by The WJG.