Gastric Cancer
Copyright ©2007 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Aug 7, 2007; 13(29): 3925-3931
Published online Aug 7, 2007. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i29.3925
E-cadherin and beta-catenin expression in Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric carcinoma and their prognostic significance
Chihaya Koriyama, Suminori Akiba, Tetsuhiko Itoh, Kazunobu Sueyoshi, Yoshie Minakami, Alejandro Corvalan, Suguru Yonezawa, Yoshito Eizuru
Chihaya Koriyama, Suminori Akiba, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, Japan
Tetsuhiko Itoh, Kaisei-en, Geriatric Health Services Facility, 551 Akasegawa, Akune, Kagoshima, Japan
Kazunobu Sueyoshi, Department of Pathology, Kagoshima City Hospital, 20-17 Kajiya-cho, Kagoshima, Japan
Yoshie Minakami, Yoshito Eizuru, Division of Oncogenic and Persistent Viruses, Center for Chronic Viral Diseases, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, Japan
Alejandro Corvalan, Department of Anatomic Pathology, P. Catholic University, Santiago, Chile
Suguru Yonezawa, Department of Human Pathology, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, Japan
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Priority Areas (12218231, 17015037, and 18014024) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan
Correspondence to: Suminori Akiba, MD, PhD, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, 890-8544, Japan. akiba@m.kufm.kagoshima-u.ac.jp
Telephone: +81-99-2755295 Fax: +81-99-2755299
Received: February 1, 2007
Revised: March 5, 2007
Accepted: April 11, 2007
Published online: August 7, 2007
Abstract

AIM: To examine the role of E-cadherin and beta-catenin in carcinogenesis and to assess their prognostic implication in Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric carcinomas (EBV-GCs).

METHODS: We compared the frequency of E-cadherin and beta-catenin expression in 59 EBV-GCs and 120 non-EBV-GCs, and examined the association between patients' prognosis and the expressions of these proteins.

RESULTS: Neither the cellular-membranous nor the cytoplasmic E-cadherin expression showed any difference between EBV-GCs and non-EBV-GCs. On the other hand, loss of membranous expression of beta-catenin occurred more frequently in non-EBV-GCs than EBV-GCs [odds ratio = 0.41; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.19-0.90]. Furthermore, the nuclear and/or cytoplosmic expression of beta-catenin was seen more frequently in EBV-GCs than non-EBV-GCs (odds ratio = 2.23; 95% CI, 0.97-5.09), and was observed in a larger proportion of carcinoma cells of EBV-GCs than non-EBV-GCs (P = 0.024). Survival analysis for non-EBV-GC revealed that lymph node metastasis was significantly associated with poor prognosis (P < 0.001). Among EBV-GCs, the depth of invasion (P = 0.005), lymph node metastasis (P = 0.004) and an intestinal type by Lauren classification (hazard ratio = 9.47; 95% CI, 2.67-33.6) were significantly associated with poor prognosis. On the other hand, nuclear and/or cytoplasmic expression of beta-catenin was associated with a better prognosis in patients with EBV-GC (hazard ratio = 0.32; 95% CI, 0.11-0.93).

CONCLUSION: We observed more frequent preservation of beta-catenin in cell membrane and accumulation in nuclei and/or cytoplasm in EBV-GCs than in non-EBV-GCs. Factors involved in the prognosis of EBV-GCs and non-EBV-GCs are different in the two conditions.

Keywords: Epstein-Barr virus; Gastric carcinoma; E-cadherin; Beta-catenin; Prognosis