@article {AALTOMAA2407, author = {SIRPA AALTOMAA and PERTTI LIPPONEN and VESA K{\"A}RJ{\"A} and SEPPO LUNDSTEDT and JANI LAPPI and VELI-MATTI KOSMA}, title = {The Expression and Prognostic Value of α-, β- and γ- Catenins in Renal Cell Carcinoma}, volume = {24}, number = {4}, pages = {2407--2414}, year = {2004}, publisher = {International Institute of Anticancer Research}, abstract = {Background: Catenins have prognostic value in several human tumours. The aim of the study was to analyse the prognostic value of catenin expression in a prospectively followed series of renal cell carcinoma. Patients and Methods: One hundred and twenty-four renal cell carcinomas were prospectively followed-up for a mean of 3.5 years and the survival data of patients were related to standard prognostic factors and to the results of α-, β- and γ-catenin immunohistochemistry. The data of catenin immunohistochemistry were also related to the clinical and histopathological characteristics of the tumours. Results: Low cytoplasmic α-catenin expression was related to lymphatic tumour growth (p=0.02) and to tumour necrosis (p=0.02). The weak expression intensity of β-catenin on cell membranes was related to venous growth inside the tumour (p=0.02), extratumoural venous growth (p=0.03) and to perineural growth (p\<0.001). Nuclear γ-catenin expression was strongly associated with clear cell type (p=0.0001) and high WHO grade (p=0.038). Short recurrence-free survival was predicted by weak membranous α- catenin (p=0.015) and β-catenin (p=0.006) expression intensity, while their cytoplasmic expression was of lower significance (p=0.07 and 0.045, respectively). All the conventional prognostic factors predicted short recurrence-free survival: Fuhrman classification (p=0.02), WHO grade (p=0.026), perineural growth (p=0.013), venous invasion (p=0.0024), tumour size (p=0.004) and T-category (p=0.0001). Independent predictors of short recurrence-free survival were weak membranous expression intensity of β-catenin (RR=0.15, p=0.004), high T-category (RR=2.70, p=0.001) and high WHO grade (RR=2.24, p=0.025). Conclusion: The results show that immunohistochemical analysis of β-catenin expression may be used as an indicator of aggressiveness in renal cell carcinoma. Copyright{\textcopyright} 2004 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved}, issn = {0250-7005}, URL = {https://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/24/4/2407}, eprint = {https://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/24/4/2407.full.pdf}, journal = {Anticancer Research} }