This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Baldus, S. E. Articles by Dienes, H. P. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Baldus, S. E. Articles by Dienes, H. P.

MUC1 and Nuclear ß-Catenin Are Coexpressed at the Invasion Front of Colorectal Carcinomas and Are Both Correlated with Tumor Prognosis

¹ Institute of Pathology, ² Department of Visceral and Vascular Surgery, and ³ Center of Biochemistry, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

Purpose: Overexpression of MUC1 and cytosolic interaction of the mucin with ß-catenin are claimed to be involved in colorectal carcinogenesis. In vitro data published recently suggest that MUC1 overexpression results in an increase of steady state levels of nuclear ß-catenin. We tried to elucidate the coexpression of both molecules in colorectal cancer to demonstrate possible correlations with clinical, pathological, and prognostic data.

Experimental Design: An immunohistochemical double staining study was performed to characterize the expression and subcellular distribution of MUC1 and ß-catenin in a series of 205 patients with colorectal carcinoma. The results were correlated with clinicopathological variables as well as overall survival.

Results: MUC1 was strongly expressed in the tumor center and at the invasion front in 50% of the cases. Similar results were obtained with regard to nuclear accumulation of ß-catenin at the invasive tumor parts. MUC1 protein expression in the tumor center correlated significantly with a low grade of differentiation, and nuclear ß-catenin in the tumor periphery was more frequent in carcinomas of the left colon and rectum. Overexpression of MUC1 and ß-catenin, as well as their nuclear coexpression at the invasion front correlated with a worse overall survival in an univariate analysis. However, only pathological tumor-node-metastasis staging and MUC1 at the invasion front revealed as independent prognostic factors.

Conclusions: These results suggest that MUC1 and ß-catenin are coexpressed at the invasion front of colorectal carcinomas and that this feature is associated with an accelerated course of disease and worse prognosis.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Y.-P. Tsai, M.-H. Yang, C.-H. Huang, S.-Y. Chang, P.-M. Chen, C.-J. Liu, S.-C. Teng, and K.-J. Wu Interaction between HSP60 and {beta}-catenin promotes metastasis Carcinogenesis, June 1, 2009; 30(6): 1049 - 1057. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A Lugli, I Zlobec, K Baker, P Minoo, L Tornillo, L Terracciano, and J R Jass Prognostic significance of mucins in colorectal cancer with different DNA mismatch-repair status J. Clin. Pathol., May 1, 2007; 60(5): 534 - 539. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S Uchiyama, H Itoh, S Naganuma, K Nagaike, T Fukushima, H Tanaka, R Hamasuna, K Chijiiwa, and H Kataoka Enhanced expression of hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor type 2-related small peptide at the invasive front of colon cancers Gut, February 1, 2007; 56(2): 215 - 226. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Kroemer, L. Galluzzi, and C. Brenner Mitochondrial Membrane Permeabilization in Cell Death Physiol Rev, January 1, 2007; 87(1): 99 - 163. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Ren, D. Raina, W. Chen, G. Li, L. Huang, and D. Kufe MUC1 Oncoprotein Functions in Activation of Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor Signaling Mol. Cancer Res., November 1, 2006; 4(11): 873 - 883. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Sengupta, J. A. den Boon, I-H. Chen, M. A. Newton, D. B. Dahl, M. Chen, Y.-J. Cheng, W. H. Westra, C.-J. Chen, A. Hildesheim, et al. Genome-Wide Expression Profiling Reveals EBV-Associated Inhibition of MHC Class I Expression in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cancer Res., August 15, 2006; 66(16): 7999 - 8006. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Huang, D. Chen, D. Liu, L. Yin, S. Kharbanda, and D. Kufe MUC1 Oncoprotein Blocks Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3{beta}-Mediated Phosphorylation and Degradation of {beta}-Catenin Cancer Res., November 15, 2005; 65(22): 10413 - 10422. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Levitin, O. Stern, M. Weiss, C. Gil-Henn, R. Ziv, Z. Prokocimer, N. I. Smorodinsky, D. B. Rubinstein, and D. H. Wreschner The MUC1 SEA Module Is a Self-cleaving Domain J. Biol. Chem., September 30, 2005; 280(39): 33374 - 33386. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]