The Expression of beta- & alpha-Catenin and Focal Adhesion Kinase in Invasive Cervical Cancers

Moon, Hye Sung; Choi, Eun Ah; Chung, Hye Won; Kim, Seung Cheol

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
E-cadherin/catenin adhesion complex is fundamentally involved in epithelial cancer invasion and metastasis. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is one of the molecules that may be involved in the regulation of focal adhesion integrity and the progression of cancer to invasion and metastasis. The present study was aimed to explore that the beta- & alpha-catenin might be involved in the invasion and metastasis of cervical carcinoma, and their expression might be related with other clinicopathologic factors or associated with FAK in cervical cancer.
METHODS
The tissues were obtained from the 26 patients with cervical carcinoma and the 9 patients with normal cervix undergoing hysterectomy. The proteins were extracted and the expression of beta- and alpha- catenin and FAK were studied with a western blot analysis. The coexpression of alpha-catenin and FAK was examined with an immunoprecipitation. The clinicopathologic factors were reviewed with the charts of patients and the results were analysed with the Chi-square test and Spearman's correlation test.
RESULTS
The expression of beta- and alpha-catenin in cervical carcinoma was lower than that in normal cervix (p<0.05). Their expression was not correlated with other clinicopathologic factors. The expression of FAK in cervical carcinoma was related with the expression of alpha-catenin.
CONCLUSION
This study showed that the expression of beta- & alpha-catenin is involved in the invasion of cervical carcinoma and the FAK expression might be associated with the alpha-catenin expression in cervical carcinoma.