Expression and significances of β-catenin in Barrett esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma / 中国医师进修杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the significance of the expression of β-catenin(β-cat) in Barrett esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and the relationship between its expression and clinicopathological factom.Methods By using SP immunohistochemistry technique,β-cat wag detected in the normal esophageal mucosa group (20 cases),Barrett esophagus with dysplasia group (26 cages) and EAC group (50 cases).Results The membranous expression of β-cat appeared in all of nomal esophageal mucosa.The rate of cytoplasmic and/or nuclear expression of β-cat in the Barrett esophagus with dysplasia group and the EAC group was 38.5% (10/26) and 60.0% (30/50) respectively,and compared with the normal esophageal mucosa group,the difference was signfficant (P＜0.01).The rate of cytoplasmic and/or nuclear expression of β-cat in the EAC group with lymphatic metastasis and the EAC group exceeding deep smooth muscle was 90.0% (18/20) and 72.2%(26/36) respectively,and compared with that in the nonlymphatic metastasis and the non-exceeding deep smooth muscle patients [43-3%(13/30) and 28.6% (4/14)],the difference was significant (P＜0.01).Conclusion Cytoplasmic and/or nuclear expression of β-cat might play a role in the carcinogenesis and progression of EAC and might be a predictor indicating the metastatic potential of EAC.