Prognostic significance of E-cadherin and β-catenin in resected stage I non-small cell lung cancer

Objectives: E-cadherin and its associated intracellular molecules, catenins, are important for cell–cell adhesion. Impaired expression of these molecules are frequently observed in several cancers. E-cadherin and β-catenin are often expressed in non-small cell lung cancers. The aim of this study was to investigate the expressions of E-cadherin and β-catenin and their significance as prognostic markers in pathological stage I non-small cell lung cancer. Methods: Paraffin embedded tumor tissue blocks were obtained from 141 patients who underwent resection without preoperative radiotherapy or chemotherapy with pathological stage I non-small cell lung cancer. Tumor samples were prepared in tissue microarrays and they were stained by immunohistochemistry with antibodies against E-cadherin and β-catenin. The expressions of E-cadherin and β-catenin were analyzed with relation to the clinico-pathological data. The median follow-up period of the patients was 41 months (range, 2–88 months). Results: Preserved expressions of E-cadherin and β-catenin were observed in the membrane and the cytoplasm of normal epithelial cells and tumor cells. Absent or reduced expression for E-cadherin and β-catenin were observed in 60% and 45% of all the patients, respectively. There was a significant positive correlation between E-cadherin and β-catenin expression (P