Frequent nuclear expression of β-catenin protein but rare β-catenin mutation in pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma
- Po-Min Chiang (omicron{at}mail2000.com.tw)
- Ray-Hwang Yuan (rhyuan{at}hotmail.com)
- Hey-Chi Hsu (heychi{at}ntu.edu.tw)
- Po-Lin Lai (polin{at}ntuh.gov.tw)
Abstract
Background: Pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma (PSH) is an uncommon tumor that composed of glandular/papillary lining cells and polygonal cells. Even though the biologic behavior of this tumor has been investigated, the molecular pathogenesis of PSH was still unknown.
Aims: To characterize the role of Wnt/β-catenin pathway in the genesis of PSH.
Methods: 37 PSH samples were investigated by immunohistochemical detection of β-catenin protein and direct sequencing of exon 3 of β-catenin gene.
Results: Nuclear expression of β-catenin were found in the lining component of 23 tumors (62%) and in the polygonal component of 11 tumors (30%). The expression of β-catenin was stronger in lining component, but weaker in polygonal component. Intrestingly, all the tumors with expression of β-catenin in the polygonal component also expressed β -catenin in the lining component. But mutation of exon 3 of β-catenin gene was detected in only one tumor that expressed nuclear β-catenin in both lining and polygonal components.
Conclusions: Wnt/β-catenin pathway was involved in genesis of PSH , but mutation of exon 3 of -βcatenin gene rarely contributed to the activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway in PSH.
