Expression of β-Catenin, MUC1 and c-Met in Diffuse-type Gastric Carcinomas: Correlations with Tumour Progression and Prognosis

Previous studies on the immunoreactivity of beta-catenin, MUC1 and c-met in gastric carcinomas regarding survival and clinico-pathological features led to contradictory results. Therefore, a series of 94 diffuse-type and mixed-type subcardial gastric carcinomas according to the Lauren classification were investigated to elucidate possible correlations with clinico-pathological and prognostic data. An immunohistochemical study was performed to detect the expression of beta-catenin, MUC1 and c-met. Loss of membranous/cytoplasmic beta-catenin expression in the tumour centre correlated with pT, loss at the invasion front with pTNM stage. MUC1 expression in the tumour centre correlated with lymph node metastasis and pTNM stage. c-Met did not show such associations. In multivariate survival analysis, loss of membranous! cytoplasmic beta-catenin expression as well as a strong MUC1 expression at the tumour invasion front represent independent predictors of a worse prognosis. On the other hand, c-met expression did not exhibit any prognostic value in this study.