Caveolin-1, E-cadherin and β-catenin in gastric carcinoma, precancerous tissues and chronic non-atrophic gastritis

To investigate the expressions of caveolin-1, E-cadherin and beta-catenin in gastric carcinoma, precancerous gastric and chronic non-atrophic gastritis tissues, and evaluate the correlation of these expressions with the development of gastric cancer. The expressions of caveolin-1, E-cadherin and beta-catenin were detected by biotin-streptavidin-peroxidase (SP) immunohistochemistry on 58 gastric cancer tissues, 40 precancerous gastric tissues and 42 chronic non-atrophic gastritis tissues. The correlation between the expressions of caveolin-1, E-cadherin and beta-catenin, and the clinicopathologic parameters of gastric cancer was analyzed retrospectively. The positive rates of caveolin-1 and E-cadherin expressions in gastric carcinoma were significantly lower than precancerous gastric and chronic non-atrophic gastritis tissues (P < 0.01). An abnormal rate of beta-catenin expression in gastric carcinoma was higher than precancerous gastric and chronic non-atrophic gastritis tissues (P < 0.01). Moreover, low expressions of caveolin-1, E-cadherin and beta-catenin correlated with tumor size, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis and TNM stage (P < 0.05). The positive rates of caveolin-1 and E-cadherin expressions decreased (P < 0.01), while an abnormal rate of beta-catenin expression increased inversely, with the degree of atypical hyperplasia (P < 0.01). Caveolin-1 expression correlated positively with E-cadherin (r=0.41, P < 0.05). Caveolin-1 (r=-0.36, P < 0.05) and E-cadherin (r=-0.45, P < 0.05) expressions negatively correlated with abnormal beta-catenin expression. These results suggested that dysregulated expressions of caveolin-1, E-cadherin and beta-catenin correlated with the development of gastric cancer and its biological behavior.