ObjectiveTo investigate the expression of β-catenin and Galectin-3 protein in human cervical carcinoma and its clinical pathological significance.
MethodsEighty-three cervical specimens were collected from January 2010 to June 2013. By immunohistochemical method, β-catenin and Galectin-3 expression of the 83 cases of cervical carcinoma, 45 cases of intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and 25 normal cervix tissue (control) were detected.
ResultsThe positive expression rate in cervical carcinoma of β-catenin and Galectin-3 was respectively 74.70% and 81.93%, which was significantly higher than that in intraepithelial neoplasia (ⅠandⅡ) and normal cervical tissue (P<0.05). Compared with cervical cancer, the expression of β-catenin and Galectin-3 in CINⅢ had no statistical significance (P>0.05). The positive expression of β-catenin was significantly correlated with histological grade of cervical cancer tissue, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics grade and lymph node metastasis (P<0.05). The positive expression of Galectin-3 was closely related to histological grade of cervical cancer tissue and lymph node metastasis (P>0.05). Both β-catenin and Galectin-3 expression had no relationship with other clinical pathological parameters, such as age of patients, tumor size and pathological pattern of tumor (P>0.05). β-catenin expression had significant positive correlation with that of Galectin-3 (r=0.327, P=0.002).
ConclusionThe expression of Galectin-3 and β-catenin increases obviously and is associated with abnormal clinical parameters (invasion or metastasis) in patients with cervical cancer. Galectin-3 and β-catenin may act as cancer metastasis and prognostic indicators in these patients.
