Significance Of E-cadherin,β-catenin And CathepsinD Expressions In Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Objective: To investigate the correlation between the expressions of E-cadherin?β-catenin and CathepsinD and the clinicopathologic features in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Methods: Immunohistochemical EnVision method was used to determine the expressions of E-cad,β-cat and Cath-D in 60 cases of ESCC and 15 cases of normal esophageal tissues,and their correlations to the clinicopathologic characteristics of ESCC were analyzed. Results: 1)The abnormal expression rates of E-cad were 0% (0/15)?61.67% (37/60) in normal esophageal tissues and ESCC,the differences were statistically significant (P<0.01). The abnormal expression rates of E-cad were 30.77% (8/26)?85.29% (29/34) in the high differentiation and in the middle-low differentiation of ESCC, the differences were statistically significant (P<0.01). The abnormal expression rates of E-cad were 26.67%(4/15)?73.33% (33/45)in the no infiltration into muscular layer and in the infiltration into muscular layer of ESCC,the differences were statistically significant(P<0.01). The abnormal expression rates of E-cad were 41.94%(13/31)?82.76% (24/29) in the nonmetastatic groups and in the lymphatic metastasis groups of ESCC,the differences were statistically significant (P<0.01); 2)The abnormal expression rates ofβ-catenin were 0% (0/15)?66.67% (40/60) in normal esophageal tissues and ESCC,the differences were statistically significant (P<0.01). The abnormal expression rates ofβ-catenin were38.46% (10/26)?88.23% (30/34) in the high differentiation and in the middle-low differentiation of ESCC,the differences were statistically significant (P<0.01). The abnormal expression rates ofβ-catenin were 33.33% (5/15)?77.78% (35/45) in the no infiltration into muscular layer and in the infiltration into muscular layer of ESCC,the differences were statistically significant (P<0.01). The abnormal expression rates ofβ-cat were 48.39 (15/31)%?86.21% (25/29) in the nonmetastatic groups and in the lymphatic metastasis groups of ESCC,the differences were statistically significant (P<0.01); 3) The positive rates of Cath-D expression were 60%(36/60) in ESCC, higher than that in normal esophageal tissues 0%(0/15) (P<0.01). The positive rates of Cath-D were higher in the middle-low differentiation?infiltration into muscular layer?lymphatic metastasis groups than in the high differentiation?no infiltration into muscular layer?nonmetastatic groups, the differences were statistically significant (P<0.01); 4)E-cad abnormal expression was positively correlated toβ-cat in ESCC (r=0.679,P<0.01).The positive expression of Cath-D was positively correlated with abnormal expressions of E-cad andβ-cat (r=0.616, r=0.505, both P<0.01). Conclusions: Abnormal Expressions of E-cad,β-cat and positive expression of Cath-D indicate what were relation of the infiltration and development of ESCC. E-cad?β-cat and Cath-D can be used as valuable molecular markers for the tumor progression, recurrence and prognosis by combining to examine.