The role of beta-catenin in chronic myeloproliferative disorders

Hum Pathol. 2008 Oct;39(10):1454-8. doi: 10.1016/j.humpath.2008.02.007. Epub 2008 Jul 11.

Abstract

The goal of the current study is to evaluate the role of beta-catenin in chronic myeloproliferative disorders. Expression of beta-catenin was analyzed by immunohistochemistry in formalin-fixed decalcified bone marrow biopsy specimens from 52 chronic myeloproliferative disorder cases and 6 nonchronic myeloproliferative disorder bone marrows as controls. The frequency of moderate to strong beta-catenin staining of megakaryocytes was significantly higher in polycythemia vera cases and in essential thrombocythemia cases than in chronic myelogenous leukemia cases (polycythemia vera versus chronic myelogenous leukemia, P = .002345, Fisher exact; and essential thrombocythemia versus chronic myelogenous leukemia, P = .002288), chronic idiopathic myelofibrosis cases (polycythemia vera versus chronic idiopathic myelofibrosis, P = .006707 and essential thrombocythemia versus chronic idiopathic myelofibrosis, P = .006932) or control cases (polycythemia vera versus control, P = .010489 and essential thrombocythemia versus control, P = .0113120). The erythroid and myeloid lineages showed absent to weak beta-catenin staining in most cases. In conclusion, these results indicate that the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway may have a role in megakaryocytopoiesis in polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia. In addition, beta-catenin may be a useful marker for differentiating polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia from other types of chronic myeloproliferative disorders.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biomarkers / metabolism
  • Bone Marrow / metabolism
  • Bone Marrow / pathology
  • Chronic Disease
  • Erythroid Cells / metabolism
  • Erythroid Cells / pathology
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect
  • Humans
  • Immunoenzyme Techniques
  • Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / metabolism*
  • Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / pathology
  • Megakaryocytes / metabolism
  • Megakaryocytes / pathology
  • Myeloid Cells / metabolism
  • Myeloid Cells / pathology
  • Polycythemia Vera / metabolism*
  • Polycythemia Vera / pathology
  • Primary Myelofibrosis / metabolism*
  • Primary Myelofibrosis / pathology
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Signal Transduction
  • Thrombocythemia, Essential / metabolism*
  • Thrombocythemia, Essential / pathology
  • Wnt Proteins / metabolism
  • beta Catenin / metabolism*

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • CTNNB1 protein, human
  • Wnt Proteins
  • beta Catenin