Abstract
β-Catenin is an ubiquitously expressed cytoplasmic protein that has a crucial role in both cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion and as a down-stream signaling molecule in the wingless/Wnt pathway. Activating mutations in exon 3 of the β-catenin gene, at the phosphorylation sites for ubiquitination and degradation of β-catenin, are present in a variety of cancers. Because alterations of the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene are present in biliary tract cancers and the APC protein modulates levels of β-catenin, we evaluated the role of β-catenin in biliary tract cancer by sequencing the third exon of the β-catenin gene among 107 biliary tract cancers and 7 gallbladder adenomas from a population-based study in China, Point mutations of serine or threonine phosphorylation sites in exon 3 of β-catenin were present in 8 of 107 (7.5%) biliary tract cancers and 4 of 7 (57.1%) gallbladder adenomas. Mutations of β-catenin were more frequent in ampullary and gallbladder carcinomas than in bile duct carcinomas (P = 0.04) and in papillary adenocarcinomas than other histological types of carcinomas (P = 0.02). These results suggest that the molecular pathways of biliary tract neoplasms vary by anatomical subsite and histological subtype.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 3406-3409 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Cancer Research |
Volume | 61 |
Issue number | 8 |
State | Published - Apr 15 2001 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Oncology
- Cancer Research