Relationship of CDX-2 with intestinal metaplasia and biliary tract tumor

Abstract

Caudal-related homeobox transcription factor (CDX-2) is selectively localized in the fetal and adult mu-cosal epithelial nuclei of normal small and large intestines.CDX2 plays an important role in the regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation of the intestinal epithelium. Ec-topic expression of CDX-2 in the stomach, esophagus and other hollow organs might be a cause of intestinal metaplasia and adenocarcinoma. CDX-2 is expressed in both cultured and primary gallbladder carcinoma cells, and dysplasia.CDX2 is not detected in normal gallbladder and biliary tract mucosa. Ectopic CDX2 expression is an early event in gallbladder carcinogenesis. The frequency of CDX-2 expression is significantly higher in well-differentiated type than in the moderately and poorly differentiated tumors. The present study clearly showed that MUC2 expression in intestinal differentiation was dependent on the nuclear expression of CDX-2 in intraductal papillary neoplasia of the liver (IPNL)and mucinous intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) in the same manner as in the gastric mucosa and Barrett s esophagus. CDX-2 may also be a key factor in gallbladder carcinogenesis with intestinal differentiation and is a useful immuno-histochemical marker of intestinal differentiation in intestinal metaplasia of the gallbladder. CDX2-dependent regulation of cell proliferation may be an important factor in defining prognosis of patients with BTC. Key words: Gallbladder; Biliary tract; Intestinal metaplasia; Turner; CDX-2