Prognostic value of E-cadherin, beta-catenin, MMPs (7 and 9), and TIMPs (1 and 2) in patients with colorectal carcinoma

Abstract

Therapy of colorectal tumors (CRC) based on histology and clinical factors is insufficient to predict the evolution of each patient. The finding of molecular abnormalities able to differentiate subgroups of patients with bad prognosis will improve our ability to treat them successfully. Our purpose was to analyze retrospectively the prognostic input of E-cadherin, beta-catenin, metalloproteinases (MMPs) (7 and 9), and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) (1 and 2) in patients with a follow-up period of 5 years. Antigen expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Prognostic evaluation was performed with the multivariate proportional hazards model. We demonstrated a concomitant loss of E-cadherin and beta-catenin at membranous level and an abnormal accumulation of nuclear beta-catenin. Besides, we found that all MMPs and TIMPs studied were overexpressed in CRC tissue. There was no association between the expression of any of these molecules and the known clinical-pathological parameters employed in CRC pathology. A multivariate analysis demonstrated that the overall survival could be independently predicted by the loss of E-cadherin and the overexpression of TIMP-2. The expression of E-cadherin and TIMP-2 could be relevant in determining the prognosis of CRC patients and providing a more accurate mechanism for their classification.