ONCOmmunity

Altered Expression of Yes-associated Protein and β-Catenin in Non-neoplastic and Neoplastic Gastric Surface Epithelia.

By: Seok-Hyung Kim, Ok-Jun Lee, Ju-Lee Kwon, Jin Man Kim, Hae-Joung Sul, Kyu Sang Song, Kyung-Hee Kim

Department of Pathology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
2015-7-1; doi:

Abstract

Aim

To investigate whether differential expression of Yes-associated protein (YAP) and β-catenin is important in gastric carcinogenesis.

Materials

A total of 284 paraffin-embedded samples collected from 232 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma were used to evaluate YAP and β-catenin expression by immunohistochemistry, and the experimental findings were compared against those for gastric adenocarcinoma cell lines.

Results

Nuclear YAP expression gradually increased from non-neoplastic epithelia to tubular or papillary adenocarcinomas (TPADs) and decreased in signet-ring cell carcinoma (SRCC). Cytoplasmic β-catenin expression increased from non-neoplastic epithelia to high-grade dysplasia and was decreased in TPAD and SRCC. YAP-overexpressing cell lines exhibited marked tumor cell invasion, whereas YAP-depleted cells showed reduced invasion.

Conclusion

Nuclear YAP and cytoplasmic β-catenin play important roles in carcinogenesis, and the differential patterns YAP and β-catenin expression between TPAD and SRCC imply the existence of different carcinogenic pathways in these conditions.