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World J Gastroenterol. Aug 21, 2008; 14(31): 4903-4908
Published online Aug 21, 2008. doi: 10.3748/wjg.14.4903
Up-regulation of α-catenin is associated with increased lymph node involvement in colorectal cancer
Adam Elzagheid, Abdelbaset Buhmeida, Eija Korkeila, Yrjö Collan, Kari Syrjänen, Seppo Pyrhönen
Adam Elzagheid, Yrjö Collan, Department of Pathology, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 10, Turku FIN-20520, Finland
Adam Elzagheid, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Arab Medical University, Benghazi, Libya
Abdelbaset Buhmeida, Eija Korkeila, Kari Syrjänen, Seppo Pyrhönen, Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Turku University Hospital, Savitehtaankatu 1 PB 52, Turku FIN-20521, Finland
Author contributions: Elzagheid A, Buhmeida A contributed equally to this work and performed research; Pyrhönen S designed research; Korkeila E collected the clinical data; Collan Y contributed new reagents/analytic tools; Syrjänen K analyzed data; and Elzagheid A wrote the paper.
Supported by Partly the Special Government Funding (EVO) allocated to Turku University Central Hospital and Cancer Society of South-West Finland (Turku), No. 13687
Correspondence to: Dr. Adam Elzagheid, MD, PhD, Department of Pathology, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 10, Turku FIN-20520, Finland. adibel@utu.fi
Telephone: +358-2-3133966 Fax: +358-2-3133965
Received: July 12, 2007
Revised: August 4, 2008
Accepted: August 11, 2008
Published online: August 21, 2008
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the changing pattern of α-catenin expression and its relationship to clinical and pathological features of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients.

METHODS: Archival tumor samples were analyzed using immunohistochemistry (IHC) for α-catenin in 91 patients with advanced CRC.

RESULTS: The values of α-catenin membrane index (MI) and cytoplasmic index (CI) were significantly related to the depth of tumor invasion (P = 0.027, P = 0.020, respectively), high indices being associated with increased depth of the primary tumor invasion (T3 and T4). Similarly, patients with high α-catenin expression had a significantly increased risk of lymph node metastasis (32/39 vs 37/52 for MI and 37/45 vs 32/46 for CI) (P = 0.001, P = 0.0001, respectively, for LNN status). An altered expression (i.e., cytoplasmic pattern) was also related (P = 0.047) to the response to chemotherapy; patients with low CI were more responsive (CR: 7/46) than patients with high CI values (CR: 0/45). There was a marginal effect on survival in patients time with metastases (SWM) (P = 0.087); patients with low CI showing slightly longer SWM, but no such effect on disease free survival (DFS) or disease specific survival (DSS). As to co-expression with another member of the adhesion complex (β-catenin), high α-catenin/β-catenin MI index was of marginal significance in predicting longer DSS (P = 0.063, log-rank).

CONCLUSION: The results implicate that high α-catenin expression is intimately involved in the key regulatory mechanisms leading to invasive phenotype, lymph node metastases, and progressive disease in CRC.

Keywords: Colorectal carcinoma, Alpha-catenin, Membrane staining, Cytoplasmic staining, Prognosis