摘要
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.
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 significantly 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 longer SWM, but no such effect on disease free survival （DFS） or disease specific 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 significance 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.
基金
Partly the Special Government Funding (EVO)allocated to Turku University Central Hospital and CancerSociety of South-West Finland (Turku), No. 13687
