Lethal Giant Larvae2 Expression Is Reduced or Localized at Cytoplasm in Colon Adenomas and Adenocarcinomas

Jang, Tae Jung

Abstract

BACKGROUND
The Scribble, Par and Crumbs polarity modules are essential for establishing and maintaining apicobasal cell polarity in epithelial cells. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression pattern of Lethal giant larvae2 (Lgl2) in normal colonic epithelium and epithelial tumors and to examine the relationship between Lgl2 expression and clinicopathological parameters.
METHODS
We examined Lgl2 expression in 66 primary colon cancers and 20 adenomas by immunohistochemistry.
RESULTS
In normal colonic epithelium, Lgl2 was strongly expressed at the basolateral membrane of cells in the luminal surface but was not expressed at the base of crypts. The expression pattern of E-cadherin in normal epithelium was similar to that of Lgl2. In contrast, tumors did not express Lgl2 or showed diffuse cytoplasmic staining. The Lgl2 positive rate in tumors was significantly lower than in normal epithelium, and its negative rate in tumors was higher in tumors with abnormal E-cadherin expression than in tumors with positive membranous staining. Lgl2 staining intensity was significantly lower in tumor budding sites than in tumor centers. No significant differences were observed between Lgl2 and clinicopathological parameters.
CONCLUSIONS
Lgl2 expression was reduced or localized at the cytoplasm in colon epithelial tumors, suggesting that a perturbation of Lgl2 expression frequently occurs in colon epithelial tumors.