ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine relationship between alteration of expression of E-cadherin, beta-catenin and tumor progression, clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, age of patients with uterine cervical cancer. METHODS: The authors evaluated the immunohistochemical expression pattern of E-cadherin and beta- catenin in relationship with tumor stage and clinicopathologic parameters in 71 cervical neoplasia including 36 cases of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), 10 cases of microinvasive SCC, 22 cases of squamous cell carcinoma in situ, and 3 cases of severe dysplasia. RESULTS: There were aberrant expression in 76.1% of E-cadherin (54 of 71) and 74.6% of beta-catenin (53 of 71) in the cervical cancer. There was positive correlation of aberrant expression of E-cadherin with tumor progression and clinical stage (<0.005). There was positive correlation of aberrant expression of beta- catenin with tumor progression and clinical stage (<0.005). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the degree or the pattern of E-cadherin, beta-catenin, and E-cadherin/beta-catenin complex may be related to histologic grade and clinical stage of uterine cervical cancer.