Reduced membranous β-catenin protein expression is associated with metastasis and poor prognosis in squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus

Hsu, Po-Kuei; Li, Anna Fen-Yau; Wang, Yi-Ching; Hsieh, Chih-Cheng; Huang, Min-Hsiung; Hsu, Wen-Hu; Hsu, Han-Shui

doi:10.1016/j.jtcvs.2007.11.007

« Previous Next »The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
Volume 135, Issue 5 , Pages 1029-1035, May 2008

Reduced membranous β-catenin protein expression is associated with metastasis and poor prognosis in squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus

Po-Kuei Hsu, MD
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, National Yang-Ming University, School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
Anna Fen-Yau Li, MD, PhD
- Department of Pathology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, National Yang-Ming University, School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
Yi-Ching Wang, PhD
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
Chih-Cheng Hsieh, MD
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, National Yang-Ming University, School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
Min-Hsiung Huang, MD
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, National Yang-Ming University, School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
Wen-Hu Hsu, MD
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, National Yang-Ming University, School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
Han-Shui Hsu, MD, PhD
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, National Yang-Ming University, School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
- Address for reprints: Han-Shui Hsu, MD, PhD, Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201, Sec. 2, Shih-Pai Road, Taipei, Taiwan.

Received 10 July 2007; received in revised form 29 August 2007; accepted 9 November 2007.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to evaluate, by immunohistochemical analysis, the protein expression of β-catenin and p53 in resected esophageal squamous cell carcinoma specimens. The clinical relevance and prognostic significance of the expression of these proteins were also analyzed.

Methods

Immunohistochemistry was performed on paraffin-embedded tissue specimens from 68 resected esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tumor specimens to detect the expression of β-catenin and p53. The correlation between the results of immunoexpression and the clinicopathologic parameters and patient survival was processed statistically.

Results

Reduced membranous β-catenin expression was noted in 43 (63.2%) of 68 tumor specimens. Increased expression of p53 was observed in 43 (63.2%) of 68 specimens. Reduced membranous β-catenin protein expression was associated with the presence of distant metastasis (P = .006). Patients with reduced membranous β-catenin expression had a worse prognosis than patients with normal membranous β-catenin expression (P = .005). Patients with combined increased p53 and reduced membranous β-catenin protein expression had the worst prognosis (P = .012). In a multivariate survival analysis, reduced membranous β-catenin expression and nodal involvement were independent prognostic factors (P = .004 and .019, respectively).

Conclusions

Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that reduced membranous β-catenin protein expression was associated with the presence of distant metastasis and a poor prognosis in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Combined increased p53 and reduced membranous β-catenin protein expression indicated a very poor prognosis in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Further investigation is needed to understand the roles of β-catenin and p53 in the tumorigenesis and metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Abbreviations and Acronyms: ESCC, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, GSK3β, glycogen synthase kinase 3β

CTSNet Classification: 7