Adhesion molecules in Wilms tumor (part II) : beta-catenin expression and significance

Abstract

Beta-catenin is a glicoprotein which has an important role in cell-cell adhesion, as well as in cell signal transmission, in u regulation of gen expression and in interaction with axin and APC (adenomatous poliposis coli). Its oncogenic role in several types of carcinomas in human population is well known. It is very likely that beta-catenin as an protooncogen plays an important role in genesis of Wilms tumor. It is well known that in 15% Wilms tumors there are beta-catenin mutations, which indicates that there is a disorder in Wnt signal path that plays an important role in Wilms tumor genesis. The aim of our study was to investigate b-catenin expression in Wilms tumor, to compare it with the expression in normal renal tissue as well as to see if there is a positive correlation between b-catenin expression in Wilms tumor with tumor stage, histologic type and/or prognostic group.

Immunohistochemical Analysis of Gamma Catenin in Wilms' Tumors

“…However, the mechanisms that contribute to the inactivation of γ -catenin expression in malignant cells has not been fully investigated. To date, only a few reports show the results of immunohistochemical investigations of catenins in Wilms' tumor [20][21][22]31].…”

“…Many genes have been identified as being putatively regulated by WT1(tumor suppressor gene, mutations of which are involved in tumor genesis of Wilms' tumor) including E-cadherin [12], insulin-like growth factor II [13], insulin-like growth factor I receptor [14], plateletderived growth factor A-chain [15,16], syndecan, Pax-223 [17], Dax I [18], amphiregulin [19], and β-catenin [20][21][22]. However, it is still not clear what the biologically critical targets for WT1 regulation are, and the cellular pathways abrogated as a result of WT1 mutations are yet to be identified.…”