Beta-catenin and Epithelial Tumors: a Study Based on 374 Oropharyngeal Cancers

Overview

Journal Biomed Res Int

Publisher Wiley

Specialties Biomedical Engineering
Biotechnology
General Medicine

Date 2014 Feb 11

PMID 24511551

Citations 15

Authors

Angela Santoro

Giuseppe Pannone

Silvana Papagerakis

H Stan McGuff

Barbara Cafarelli

Silvia Lepore

Salvatore de Maria

Corrado Rubini

Marilena Mattoni

Stefania Staibano

Ernesto Mezza

Gaetano De Rosa

Gabriella Aquino

Simona Losito

Carla Loreto

Salvatore Crimi

Pantaleo Bufo

Lorenzo Lo Muzio

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: Although altered regulation of the Wnt pathway via beta-catenin is a frequent event in several human cancers, its potential implications in oral/oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC/OPSCC) are largely unexplored. Work purpose was to define association between beta-catenin expression and clinical-pathological parameters in 374 OSCCs/OP-SCCs by immunohistochemistry (IHC).

Materials And Methods: Association between IHC detected patterns of protein expression and clinical-pathological parameters was assessed by statistical analysis and survival rates by Kaplan-Meier curves. Beta-catenin expression was also investigated in OSCC cell lines by Real-Time PCR. An additional analysis of the DNA content was performed on 22 representative OSCCs/OPSCCs by DNA-image-cytometric analysis.

Results And Discussion: All carcinomas exhibited significant alterations of beta-catenin expression (P < 0.05). Beta-catenin protein was mainly detected in the cytoplasm of cancerous cells and only focal nuclear positivity was observed. Higher cytoplasmic expression correlated significantly with poor histological differentiation, advanced stage, and worst patient outcome (P < 0.05). By Real-Time PCR significant increase of beta-catenin mRNA was detected in OSCC cell lines and in 45% of surgical specimens. DNA ploidy study demonstrated high levels of aneuploidy in beta-catenin overexpressing carcinomas.

Conclusions: This is the largest study reporting significant association between beta-catenin expression and clinical-pathological factors in patients with OSCCs/OPSCCs.

Citing Articles

Expression of Beta-Catenin, Cadherins and P-Runx2 in Fibro-Osseous Lesions of the Jaw: Tissue Microarray Study.

Pannone G, Nocini R, Santoro A, Spirito F, Nocini P, Papagerakis S Biomolecules. 2022; 12(4).

PMID: 35454175 PMC: 9024991. DOI: 10.3390/biom12040587.

Expression profile of components of the β-catenin destruction complex in oral dysplasia and oral cancer.

Goni F, Pena-Oyarzun D, Torres V, Reyes M Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal. 2021; 26(6):e729-e737.

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Nucleolin Targeting by N6L Inhibits Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway Activation in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

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PMID: 34203710 PMC: 8232280. DOI: 10.3390/cancers13122986.

Evaluation of Beta-Catenin Subcellular Localization and Water Channel Protein AQP1 Expression as Predictive Markers of Chemo-Resistance in Ovarian High-Grade Serous Carcinoma: Comparative Study between Preoperative Peritoneal Biopsies and Surgical....

Angelico G, Ieni A, Caltabiano R, Santoro A, Inzani F, Spadola S Diagnostics (Basel). 2021; 11(3).

PMID: 33807998 PMC: 8000296. DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11030452.

Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling in Oral Carcinogenesis.

Reyes M, Flores T, Betancur D, Pena-Oyarzun D, Torres V Int J Mol Sci. 2020; 21(13).

PMID: 32630122 PMC: 7369957. DOI: 10.3390/ijms21134682.

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