Expression patterns of the E-cadherin-catenin cell-cell adhesion complex in gastric cancer.

The E-cadherin-catenin complex plays a key role in intercellular adhesion of epithelial cells. Aberrant expression and/or function of its components have been implicated in tumor progression and metastasis. We evaluated the expression of the E-cadherin-catenin complex in gastric cancer by immunohistochemistry and investigated its relationship to histopathological features. The expression of E-cadherin, alpha-, beta-, and gamma-catenin, and p120 protein was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 36 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens of gastric cancer. In benign gastric mucosa all five molecules co-localized at the cell membrane. Reduced E-cadherin, alpha-, beta-, and gamma-catenin, and p120 expression was found in 67%, 61%, 50%, 64%, and 56% of cases, respectively. The expression of E-cadherin and beta-catenin correlated significantly with the histological type and the degree of tumor differentiation. gamma-Catenin expression correlated only with the histological type of the tumor. The expression of E-cadherin correlated significantly with alpha-, beta- and gamma-catenin, and p120 expression, respectively. The expression of E-cadherin and alpha-catenin showed the highest concordance. In gastric cancer, reduced E-cadherin, catenin and p120 expressions are related events with E-cadherin showing the most frequent aberrations.