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. 2006 Dec;132(12):805-10.
doi: 10.1007/s00432-006-0129-1. Epub 2006 Jun 23.

Expression of phosphorylated ERK1/2 and homeodomain protein CDX2 in cholangiocarcinoma

Artit Jinawath  1 , Yoshimitsu Akiyama, Yasuhito Yuasa, Chawalit Pairojkul
Affiliations

Expression of phosphorylated ERK1/2 and homeodomain protein CDX2 in cholangiocarcinoma

Artit Jinawath et al. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol. 2006 Dec.

Abstract

Purpose: The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 pathway plays important roles in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation and cell survival. The caudal-related homeobox protein CDX2 is essential for the development of the intestine, and is related to gastric and gallbladder cancers with the intestinal phenotype. However, the roles of ERK1/2 phosphorylation (pERK1/2) and CDX2 in cholangiocarcinogenesis remain unknown.

Methods: We investigated the expression of pERK1/2, CDX2 and MUC2 in Thai cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) specimens by means of immunohistochemical staining, and compared the expression of these proteins with clinicopathological factors.

Results: The pERK1/2 protein was expressed in 29 of 59 (49.2%) CCA cases. Interestingly, in tubular-type CCA, the frequency of pERK1/2 expression was associated with a higher grade of differentiation (P = 0.001). CDX2 expression was observed in 22 of the 59 (37.3%) CCA cases, showed a relationship with MUC2 expression (P = 0.001), and was much higher in papillary-type than tubular-type CCA (P = 0.002).

Conclusion: These results imply that pERK1/2 may be important for the differentiation of tubular-type CCA, while CDX2 is related to the intestinal phenotype of papillary-type CCA.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Representative examples of immunohistochemical staining of pERK1/2 in a well-differentiated (a) and a papillary-type CCA (b), CDX2 (c), and MUC2 (d) in papillary-type CCA (×200)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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