Relationship between expression of E-cadherin-catenin complex and clinicopathologic characteristics of pancreatic cancer.

Aim: To investigate the expression of E-cadherin and alpha-catenin and beta-catenin in pancreatic carcinoma and its relationship with the clinicopathologic characteristics, and clarify the mechanism of invasion and metastasis of pancreatic cancer.

Methods: The expression of E-cadherin and alpha-, beta-catenin was examined in 47 cases of infiltrative ductal adenocarcinoma of pancreas and 12 adult normal pancreatic tissues by immunohistochemical technique.

Results: The immunoreactivity of E-cadherin and alpha-, beta-catenin was expressed by normal ductal and acinar cells with strong membranous staining at the intercellular border in 12 cases of adult normal pancreatic tissues. Abnormal expression of E-cadherin and alpha-, beta-catenin in 47 pancreatic carcinoma tissues was demonstrated in 53.2 %, 61.7 % and 68.1 %, respectively. Both abnormal expression of E-cadherin and alpha-catenin significantly correlated with differentiation, lymph node and liver metastases (P<0.05, respectively), whereas aberrant beta-catenin expression only correlated with lymph node and liver metastases (P<0.001). Abnormal E-cadherin and alpha-, beta-catenin expression was not associated with tumor size, invasion and survival time of patients (P>0.05, all).

Conclusion: Pancreatic cancer likely occurs in case of E-cadherin-catenin complex genes mutations or deletions and abnormal expression of proteins, which significantly correlate with the biologic character of the tumor and lymph node and liver metastases. It is suggested that the abnormal E-cadherin-catenin complex expression plays an important role in the development and progression of tumor, and thus may become a new marker in pancreatic cancer metastasis.