Korean J Otolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  2004 Oct;47(10):1004-1012.

The Correlations of E-Cadherin Catenin Complex(alpha, beta, gamma, p120cat) Expressions and Clinicopathological Findings in Tongue Cancer

• Shim WY
• Wang SG
• Lee BJ
• Rho HJ
• Goh EK
• Chon KM
• Park DY

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
E-cadherin and catenins (alpha, beta, gamma, p120cat) are important epithelial adhesion molecules in normal epithelial cells. Loss of E-cadherin-catenin adhesion is an important step in the progression of epithelial cancers such as tongue cancer. E-cadherin and catenins expression in carcinoma of human tongue was evaluated in relation to their clinicopathological features and prognostic values.
SUBJECTS AND METHOD
Thirty-nine specimens of tongue squamous cell carcinoma were examined in this study. These patients were all treated by primary surgery without prior radiotherapy or chemotherapy. The specimens of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tumor tissues were investigated by immunohistochemical analysis using E-cadherin and catenin (alpha, beta, gamma, p120cat) monoclonal antibodies.
RESULTS
The expressions of E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, beta-catenin, gamma-catenin and p120cat in cell membranes were reduced or absent in 71.8%, 74.4%, 76.9%, 59.0% and 82.1% of the tumors examined, respectively. The reduced expressions of alpha-catenin and gamma-catenin in the cell membranes was cor-related with tumore differentiation (p=0.018, p=0.004, respectively). There were significant correlations between E-cadherin and expressions of the four cantenins in the cell membranes of tongue cancer. There were no correlations between beta-catenin and p120cat expression in the cytoplasm, cell nucleus and clinicopathological features. There was significant correlation between E-cadherin expression and Kaplan-Meier survival curves.
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that E-cadherin and catenins (alpha, beta, gamma, p120cat) can be used as prognostic markers of human tongue squamous cell carninoma. The result of beta-catenin and p120cat absence in the nucleus suggests that Wnt/Wingless signaling or Kaiso transcription did not occur in the human tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

Keyword

E-cadherin; Tongue cancer; Histopathology; Prognosis

MeSH Terms

alpha Catenin
Antibodies, Monoclonal
beta Catenin
Cadherins*
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell
Catenins
Cell Membrane
Cell Nucleus
Cytoplasm
Drug Therapy
Epithelial Cells
gamma Catenin
Humans
Kaplan-Meier Estimate
Prognosis
Radiotherapy
Tongue Neoplasms*
Tongue*
Antibodies, Monoclonal
Cadherins
Catenins
alpha Catenin
beta Catenin
gamma Catenin