Expression of beta-catenin in renal cell carcinoma

Objective To investigate the expression of beta -catenin and its mRNA in re nal cell carcinoma. Methods Twenty-six cases with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) were studied by im munohistochemistry, Western blot and RT-PCR. Results We found the expression of beta -catenis is higher in cancer tissue s than in normal kidney tissues and the level of beta -catenin is associate d with the tumor stage. Its expression in tumor of pT3 and pT4 is obviously higher than pT1 and pT2 (P<0.01). That is to say, there was an overexpress ion of <beta>-catenin protein in RCC and its level was related to the tumor stage, but the expression of beta -catenin mRNA had no difference between tumor tissue and normal tissue. Conclusion beta -catenin may be related to the occurrence and progress of R CC.