Immunohistochemical Study of β-catenin Expression between Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Cholangiocarcinoma

Abstract

Purpose: β-catenin is an intracellular protein that is an integral component of the cadherin-mediated cell-cell interaction and a downstream transcriptional activator in the wnt signal transduction pathway. Inappropriate activation of β-catenin has recently been implicated in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma. Nuclear β-catenin expression is strongly associated with gene mutation. This study was designed to evaluate the pattern of β-catenin expression between hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma. Materials and Methods: Immunohistochemical expression of β-catenin was studied in 7 normal livers, 33 hepatocellular carcinomas and 20 cholangiocarcinomas, that were formalin fixed and paraffin embedded. Results: β-catenin was expressed mainly in the cytoplasmic membrane of the normal hepatocytes and bile ducts. Nuclear expressions, not noted in the normal liver, were noted in 30% of the hepatocellular carcinomas and 10% of the cholangiocarcinomas. And, nuclear expression was more common in the high grade (50%) hepatocellular carcinomas than the low grade (18%) hepatocellular carcinomas (p≤0.05). Conclusion: The above results indicate that nuclear expression of β-catenin is observed in the carcinoma but not the normal liver, and is associated with high grade liver carcinoma. (Cancer Res Treat. 2002;34:117-121)