Truant Stéphanie C, Gouyer Valérie P, Leteurtre Emmanuelle A, Zerimech Farid, Huet Guillemette M, Pruvot François-René R
Department of Digestive Surgery and Transplantation, University Hospitals, Lille, France.
J Surg Res. 2008 Dec;150(2):212-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2007.12.800. Epub 2008 Feb 11.
Although E-cadherin and beta-catenin are key regulators in tumor invasion and proliferation, few studies have been undertaken on the expression of these genes at the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) level in relation to the progression of colon cancer.
In this study, tissue samples from colectomy (n = 37) or hepatectomy (n = 23) were collected in both tumor and adjacent normal tissues. Real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction was used to quantify E-cadherin and beta-catenin mRNAs in reference to 18S RNA.
E-cadherin and beta-catenin levels in colon carcinomas were not statistically different compared with adjacent normal mucosa and were not correlated with tumor, nodes, and metastases (TNM) stage. Conversely, E-cadherin and beta-catenin levels were significantly higher in liver metastases than in adjacent normal tissue. Interestingly, we found that E-cadherin level in liver metastases was correlated to the TNM stage of the related primary tumor: a higher E-cadherin level was found for State I-II TNM. In addition, a high expression of E-cadherin in liver metastases was associated with a lower occurrence of extra-hepatic metastases after resection of liver metastases.
Taken together, these data show that E-cadherin and beta-catenin expressions are regulated throughout colon cancer progression.
尽管E-钙黏蛋白和β-连环蛋白是肿瘤侵袭和增殖的关键调节因子，但关于这些基因在信使核糖核酸（mRNA）水平上与结肠癌进展相关的表达研究较少。
在本研究中，收集了37例结肠切除术或23例肝切除术患者的肿瘤组织和相邻正常组织样本。采用实时定量逆转录聚合酶链反应，以18S RNA为参照定量E-钙黏蛋白和β-连环蛋白的mRNA。
与相邻正常黏膜相比，结肠癌中E-钙黏蛋白和β-连环蛋白水平无统计学差异，且与肿瘤、淋巴结和转移（TNM）分期无关。相反，肝转移灶中E-钙黏蛋白和β-连环蛋白水平显著高于相邻正常组织。有趣的是，我们发现肝转移灶中E-钙黏蛋白水平与相关原发肿瘤的TNM分期相关：TNM I-II期的E-钙黏蛋白水平较高。此外，肝转移灶中E-钙黏蛋白的高表达与肝转移灶切除后肝外转移的发生率较低相关。
综上所述，这些数据表明E-钙黏蛋白和β-连环蛋白的表达在结肠癌进展过程中受到调控。
