Immunoreactive E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, beta-catenin, and gamma-catenin proteins in hepatocellular carcinoma: Relationships with tumor grade, clinicopathologic parameters, and patients' survival

We evaluated the immunohistochemical expression status of E-cadherin, alpha -catenin, beta-catenin, and gamma-catenin, and the relationship with tumor grade, clinicopathologic parameters, and patients' survival, in 107 surgica lly resected hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), using a semiquantitative scori ng system. These molecules were largely located at the cell membrane of HCC cells. Compared with expression in nontumorous liver, E-cadherin showed un derexpression, whereas alpha, beta-, and ganma-catenins showed overexpressi on in most HCC. E-cadherin expression significantly correlated inversely wi th HCC histological grade, being the highest in well-differentiated HCC. In contrast, alpha-, beta-, and gamma-catenins' expression significantly corr elated positively with HCC grade, being the highest in poorly differentiate d HCC. Significant positive correlations were found between gamma-catenin h igh expression and capsular invasion or presence of satellite nodules, and between beta-catenin high expression and vascular invasion. Kaplan-Meier ex amination of patients' survival indicated that HCC patients with underexpre ssion of E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, and gamma-catenin, and patients with ov erexpression of beta-catenin, had poor survival rates. These results sugges t that E-cadherin is downregulated while the 3 catenins are upregulated in HCC, that E-cadherin expression inversely correlates with HCC grade while t he 3 catenins' expression positively correlates with HCC grade, and that HC C patients with downregulation of E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, and gamma-cate nin and HCC patients with upregulation of beta-catenin have poor prognosis. Copyright (C) 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company.