Significance of E-cadherin, β-catenin and CathepsinD expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

AIM: To investigate the correlation between expression of E-cadherin,β-catenin and CathepsinD, and to determine their clinicopai §thologic features in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). METHODS: Sixty surgically excised and pathologically confirmed ESCC specimens were selected from preclinical medical college, Xinjiang Medical University from June 2003 to July 2007, while 15 cases of normal esophageal tissues were taken as the control group. Immunohistochemi-cal EnVision method was used to determine the expression of E-cadherin, p-catenin and CathepsinD in 60 ESCC specimens and 15 specimens of normal esophageal tissues, and their correlation with the clinicopathologic characteristics of ESCC were analyzed. RESULTS: Aberrant expression rates of E-cadherin and β-catenin were 61.67% and 66.67% respectively, and the positive expression rate of CathepsinD was 60% in ESCC, which were all higher than those in normal esophageal tissues (0%, 0%, 0%, all P＜0.01), respectively. Aberrant expression rates of E-cadherin and β-catenin and the positive expression rate of CathepsinD were significantly higher in the moderate-low differentiation group, infiltration into muscular layer group, lymphatic metastasis group than in the well-differentiated ESCC group, no infiltration into muscular layer group, non-metastatic group (P＜0.01). E-cadherin aberrant expression was positively correlated with β-catenin in ESCC (r=0.679, P＜0.01). The positive expression of CathepsinD was positively correlated with aberrant expression of E-cadherin and β-catenin (r=0.616, r=0.505, both P＜0.01). CONCLUSION: Aberrant expression of E-cadherin, β-eatenin and positive expression of CathepsinD suggest their correlation with infiltration and development of ESCC. E-eadherin, β-eatenin and CathepsinD can be used as valuable molecular markers for progression and prognosis of ESCC.