Increased levels of β-catenin, LEF-1, and HPA-1 correlate with poor prognosis for acral melanoma with negative BRAF and NRAS mutation in BRAF exons 11 and 15 and NRAS exons 1 and 2

DNA Cell Biol. 2015 Jan;34(1):69-77. doi: 10.1089/dna.2014.2590.

Abstract

To determine the expression of β-catenin, lymphoid enhancer-binding protein-1 (LEF-1), and heparanase-1 (HPA-1) and to evaluate these proteins' potential prognostic values in malignant acral melanoma without mutations in BRAF exons 11 and 15 and NRAS exons 1 and 2, specimens from 90 patients with wild-type BRAF and NRAS were assessed and analyzed by immunohistochemistry and western blotting. The positive expression of β-catenin, lymphoid enhancer-binding protein-1, and heparanase-1 was observed in 36 (72%), 31 (62%), and 32 (64%) of the detected acral melanomas, respectively. The expression of β-catenin, lymphoid enhancer-binding protein-1, and heparanase-1 was not correlated with gender, age, or diseased body parts (p>0.05), but was significantly positively correlated with the tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage and metastasis (correlation=0.406 and 0.716, 0.397 and 0.582, 0.353 and 0.579; p=0.040 and 0.0001, 0.0040 and 0.0001, 0.0120 and 0.0001, respectively). We also observed that the increased expression of β-catenin, lymphoid enhancer-binding protein-1, and heparanase-1 was significantly correlated with decreased survival and poor prognosis (p=0.001, 0.010, and 0.023, respectively). A multifactorial analysis using Cox's regression model revealed that β-catenin, lymphoid enhancer-binding protein-1, heparanase-1, and the TNM stage were all independent factors in malignant melanoma (risk ratios were 7.294, 5.550, 5.622, and 4.794; p-values were 0.007, 0.018, 0.018, and 0.029, respectively). This study may provide the basis for the use of β-catenin, lymphoid enhancer-binding protein-1, and heparanase-1 as novel targets in the treatment of malignant invasion and metastasis in acral melanoma cancer. The expression of β-catenin, LEF-1, and HPA-1 was assessed and compared in malignant melanoma with that of peritumoral tissue and benign nevus in the patients with negative mutations in BRAF exons 11 and 15 and NRAS exons 1 and 2. The study may provide the basis for β-catenin, LEF-1, and HPA-1 as new targets in the treatment of malignant invasion and metastasis in melanoma cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • DNA Mutational Analysis
  • Exons
  • Female
  • GTP Phosphohydrolases / genetics
  • Glucuronidase / metabolism*
  • Heparanase
  • Humans
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor 1 / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Melanoma / genetics
  • Melanoma / metabolism*
  • Melanoma / mortality
  • Melanoma / pathology
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Middle Aged
  • Mutation
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / genetics
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / metabolism*
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / mortality
  • Prognosis
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / genetics
  • Risk
  • Skin Neoplasms / genetics
  • Skin Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Skin Neoplasms / mortality
  • Skin Neoplasms / pathology
  • Young Adult
  • beta Catenin / metabolism*

Substances

  • GTP Phosphohydrolases
  • Glucuronidase
  • Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor 1
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf
  • beta Catenin
  • Heparanase
  • CTNNB1 protein, human
  • LEF1 protein, human
  • BRAF protein, human
  • NRAS protein, human