AIM： To investigate the changes that occur in E-cadherin expression during the process of metastasis in colorectal cancer.METHODS： E-cadherin expression was detected by immunohistochemistry and two indices of expres...AIM： To investigate the changes that occur in E-cadherin expression during the process of metastasis in colorectal cancer.METHODS： E-cadherin expression was detected by immunohistochemistry and two indices of expression were calculated which reflected the level of expression and the locations （membrane and cytoplasm）. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were used to assess the value of these two E-cadherin indices as predictors of both disease-free （DFS） and disease-specific （DSS） survival. RESULTS： E-cadherin membrane index （MI）, but not cytoplasmic index （CI）, was significantly higher in primary tumors than their metastases （P = 0.0001）. Furthermore, both primary tumor MI and CI were higher among the patients who developed subsequent metastasis （P = 0.022 and P = 0.007, respectively）. Interestingly, both indices were higher in liver metastase compared to other anatomic sites （MI, P = 0.034 and CI, P = 0.022）. The CI of the primary tumors was a significant predictor of DFS （P = 0.042, univariate analysis）, with a strong inverse correlation between CI and DFS （P = 0.006, multivariate analysis）. Finally, the MI of primary tumor proved to be a significant independent predictor of DSS, with higher indices being associated with a more favorable outcome （P = 0.016）. CONCLUSION： Examination of E-cadherin expression and distribution in colorectal tumors can be extremely valuable in predicting disease recurrence. The observation that aberrant cytoplasmic expression of E-cadherin can predict disease recurrence is obviously of great importance for both patients and clinicians, and significantly affects decisions concerning the therapy and management of the patients.展开更多
AIM： To investigate the changing pattern of β-catenin expression and its prognostic value in advanced colorectal cancer （CRC）. METHODS： Archival tumor samples were analyzed for β-catenin using immunohistochemist...AIM： To investigate the changing pattern of β-catenin expression and its prognostic value in advanced colorectal cancer （CRC）. METHODS： Archival tumor samples were analyzed for β-catenin using immunohistochemistry （IHC） in 95 patients with advanced CRC. RESULTS： Membranous β-catenin expression was found in the normal colorectal epithelium. Almost 100% of CRC cases showed membranous and cytoplasmic expression, and 55 （58%） cases showed nuclear expression. In univariate （Kaplan-Meier） survival analysis, only the nuclear index （NI） was a significant predictor of disease free survival （DFS） （P = 0.023; n = 35）, with a NI above the median associated with longer DFS （34.2 too） than those with a NI below the median （15.5 too） （P = 0.045, ANOVA）. The other indices were not significant predictors of DFS, and none of the three tested indices （for membranous, cytoplasmic, or nuclear expression） predicted diseasespecific survival （DSS）. However, when dichotomized as positive or negative nuclear expression, the former was a significant predictor of more favorable DFS （P = 0.041） and DSS （P = 0.046）. CONCLUSION： Nuclear β-catenin expression provides additional information in predicting patient outcome in advanced CRC.展开更多
AIM: To investigate the changing pattern of α-catenin expression and its relationship to clinical and pathological features of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. METHODS: Archival tumor samples were analyzed using imm...AIM: To investigate the changing pattern of α-catenin expression and its relationship to clinical and pathological features of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. METHODS: Archival tumor samples were analyzed using immunohistochemistry (IHC) for α-catenin in 91 patients with advanced CRC. RESULTS: The values of α-catenin membrane index (MI) and cytoplasmic index (CI) were significantly related to the depth of tumor invasion (P = 0.027, P = 0.020, respectively), high indices being associated with increased depth of the primary tumor invasion (T3 and T4). Similarly, patients with high α-catenin expression had a signifi cantly increased risk of lymph node metastasis (32/39 vs 37/52 for MI and 37/45 vs 32/46 for CI) (P = 0.001, P = 0.0001, respectively, for LNN status). An altered expression (i.e., cytoplasmic pattern) was also related (P = 0.047) to the response to chemotherapy; patients with low CI were more responsive (CR: 7/46) than patients with high CI values (CR: 0/45). There was a marginal effect on survival in patients time with metastases (SWM) (P = 0.087); patients with low CI showing slightly longerSWM, but no such effect on disease free survival (DFS) or disease specifi c survival (DSS). As to co-expression with another member of the adhesion complex (β-catenin), high α-catenin/β-catenin MI index was of marginal signifi cance in predicting longer DSS (P = 0.063, log-rank). CONCLUSION: The results implicate that high α-catenin expression is intimately involved in the key regulatory mechanisms leading to invasive phenotype, lymph node metastases, and progressive disease in CRC.展开更多
基金Supported by grants from the Special Government Funding (EVO) allocated to Turku University Central Hospital
文摘AIM： To investigate the changes that occur in E-cadherin expression during the process of metastasis in colorectal cancer.METHODS： E-cadherin expression was detected by immunohistochemistry and two indices of expression were calculated which reflected the level of expression and the locations （membrane and cytoplasm）. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were used to assess the value of these two E-cadherin indices as predictors of both disease-free （DFS） and disease-specific （DSS） survival. RESULTS： E-cadherin membrane index （MI）, but not cytoplasmic index （CI）, was significantly higher in primary tumors than their metastases （P = 0.0001）. Furthermore, both primary tumor MI and CI were higher among the patients who developed subsequent metastasis （P = 0.022 and P = 0.007, respectively）. Interestingly, both indices were higher in liver metastase compared to other anatomic sites （MI, P = 0.034 and CI, P = 0.022）. The CI of the primary tumors was a significant predictor of DFS （P = 0.042, univariate analysis）, with a strong inverse correlation between CI and DFS （P = 0.006, multivariate analysis）. Finally, the MI of primary tumor proved to be a significant independent predictor of DSS, with higher indices being associated with a more favorable outcome （P = 0.016）. CONCLUSION： Examination of E-cadherin expression and distribution in colorectal tumors can be extremely valuable in predicting disease recurrence. The observation that aberrant cytoplasmic expression of E-cadherin can predict disease recurrence is obviously of great importance for both patients and clinicians, and significantly affects decisions concerning the therapy and management of the patients.
基金Grants from the Special Government Funding (EVO) allocated to Turku University Central Hospital and Cancer Society of South-West Finland (Turku)
文摘AIM： To investigate the changing pattern of β-catenin expression and its prognostic value in advanced colorectal cancer （CRC）. METHODS： Archival tumor samples were analyzed for β-catenin using immunohistochemistry （IHC） in 95 patients with advanced CRC. RESULTS： Membranous β-catenin expression was found in the normal colorectal epithelium. Almost 100% of CRC cases showed membranous and cytoplasmic expression, and 55 （58%） cases showed nuclear expression. In univariate （Kaplan-Meier） survival analysis, only the nuclear index （NI） was a significant predictor of disease free survival （DFS） （P = 0.023; n = 35）, with a NI above the median associated with longer DFS （34.2 too） than those with a NI below the median （15.5 too） （P = 0.045, ANOVA）. The other indices were not significant predictors of DFS, and none of the three tested indices （for membranous, cytoplasmic, or nuclear expression） predicted diseasespecific survival （DSS）. However, when dichotomized as positive or negative nuclear expression, the former was a significant predictor of more favorable DFS （P = 0.041） and DSS （P = 0.046）. CONCLUSION： Nuclear β-catenin expression provides additional information in predicting patient outcome in advanced CRC.
基金Partly the Special Government Funding (EVO)allocated to Turku University Central Hospital and CancerSociety of South-West Finland (Turku), No. 13687
文摘AIM: To investigate the changing pattern of α-catenin expression and its relationship to clinical and pathological features of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. METHODS: Archival tumor samples were analyzed using immunohistochemistry (IHC) for α-catenin in 91 patients with advanced CRC. RESULTS: The values of α-catenin membrane index (MI) and cytoplasmic index (CI) were significantly related to the depth of tumor invasion (P = 0.027, P = 0.020, respectively), high indices being associated with increased depth of the primary tumor invasion (T3 and T4). Similarly, patients with high α-catenin expression had a signifi cantly increased risk of lymph node metastasis (32/39 vs 37/52 for MI and 37/45 vs 32/46 for CI) (P = 0.001, P = 0.0001, respectively, for LNN status). An altered expression (i.e., cytoplasmic pattern) was also related (P = 0.047) to the response to chemotherapy; patients with low CI were more responsive (CR: 7/46) than patients with high CI values (CR: 0/45). There was a marginal effect on survival in patients time with metastases (SWM) (P = 0.087); patients with low CI showing slightly longerSWM, but no such effect on disease free survival (DFS) or disease specifi c survival (DSS). As to co-expression with another member of the adhesion complex (β-catenin), high α-catenin/β-catenin MI index was of marginal signifi cance in predicting longer DSS (P = 0.063, log-rank). CONCLUSION: The results implicate that high α-catenin expression is intimately involved in the key regulatory mechanisms leading to invasive phenotype, lymph node metastases, and progressive disease in CRC.
