| Abstract: | ![]()
Aberrations in the function of α-catenin (α-cat), the anchoring protein of E-cadherin, are believed to cause dysfunction of the cadherin–catenin complex, leading to disturbed cell–cell adhesion. It has been suggested that expression of α-cat in human tumours might be a better indicator of aggressive phenotype than expression of E-cadherin. The value of α-cat as a prognostic marker in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is unclear. To determine the potential prognostic significance of α-cat, paraffin-embedded samples from 159 patients with invasive carcinoma left in the section and with long-term follow-up were evaluated immuno-histochemically for α-cat expression, and the results were related to histopathological grade, tumour stage and survival. Two patterns of staining were observed: pure membranous staining (57%) and membranous staining with cytoplasmic involvement (43%). Cytoplasmic involvement of α-cat was associated with dedifferentiation, advanced tumour stage and nodal status. In addition, supra-glottic tumours showed more often cytoplasmic involvement of α-cat than glottic tumours. Patients with cytoplasmic involvement appeared to have a trend towards poor overall survival, though without statistical significance. These results suggest that cytoplasmic involvement of α-cat is associated with aggressive behaviour and metastatic phenotype of LSCC. Int. J. Cancer (Pred. Oncol.) 79:546–550, 1998.© 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc. |
