Nuclear β-Catenin Expression at the Invasive Front and in the Vessels Predicts Liver Metastasis in Colorectal Carcinoma

• Published in: Anticancer research 2008-05, Vol.28 (3B), p.1821-1830
• Main Authors: SUZUKI, Hideki, MASUDA, Norihiro, SHIMURA, Tatsuo, ARAKI, Kenichi, KOBAYASHI, Tsutomu, TSUTSUMI, Soichi, ASAO, Takayuki, KUWANO, Hiroyuki
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: alpha Catenin - biosynthesis; beta Catenin - biosynthesis; Biological and medical sciences; Cadherins - biosynthesis; Cell Nucleus - metabolism; Colorectal Neoplasms - blood supply; Colorectal Neoplasms - metabolism; Colorectal Neoplasms - pathology; Colorectal Neoplasms - surgery; Female; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Humans; Liver Neoplasms - blood supply; Liver Neoplasms - metabolism; Liver Neoplasms - secondary; Liver Neoplasms - surgery; Liver. Biliary tract. Portal circulation. Exocrine pancreas; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Neovascularization, Pathologic - metabolism; Neovascularization, Pathologic - pathology; Tumors
• ISSN: 0250-7005; 1791-7530

Beta-catenin is a component of the Wingless/Wnt signaling pathway and can activate target genes associated with proliferation and invasion, linking with the APC gene. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether nuclear expression of beta-catenin in cells at the invasive front or in the vessels was associated with liver metastasis in human colon cancer. One hundred and eighteen patients with colorectal carcinoma who underwent surgical resection (45 patients with liver metastasis and 73 patients without liver metastasis at least 5 years after surgery) were included in the study. Proliferative activity was determined in several areas (tumor center, invasive front and in the vessels) by immunohistochemistry and whether it was correlated with liver metastasis was examined. In 73.1% of primary tumors, positive staining for beta-catenin was detected in the membranes at the tumor center and in the nuclei at the invasive front. In 32 patients (26.9% of all cases), beta-catenin was expressed exclusively in the nuclei of the carcinoma cells throughout the tumors. Significant differences in expression of nuclear beta-catenin in the primary tumors were detected between the liver metastasis and non-liver metastasis groups at the tumor center (p=0.004), invasive front (p=0.021) and in the vessels (p