Overexpression of δ-catenin is associated with a malignant phenotype and poor prognosis in colorectal cancer

Little is known regarding the expression or clinical significance of δ-catenin, a member of the catenin family, in colorectal cancer (CRC). The present study examined the expression of δ-catenin using immunohistochemistry in 110 cases of CRC, including 70 cases with complete follow‑up records and 40 cases with paired lymph node metastases. In addition, δ‑catenin mRNA and protein expression were compared in 30 pairs of matched CRC and normal colorectal tissues by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. δ‑Catenin was weakly expressed or absent in the cytoplasm of normal intestinal epithelial cells, whereas positive δ‑catenin expression localized to the cytoplasm was observed in CRC cells. The rate of positive δ‑catenin expression in CRC (68.18%; 75/110) was significantly higher than that in normal colorectal tissues (36.7%; 11/30; P<0.001). In addition, δ‑catenin mRNA and protein expression were significantly increased in CRC tissues compared to those in their matched normal tissues (all P<0.05). The expression of δ‑catenin in stage III‑IV CRC was higher than that in stage I‑II CRC, and the expression of δ‑catenin in the tumors of patients with lymph node metastases was higher than that in patients without lymph node metastases. Kaplan‑Meier survival curves demonstrated that the survival time of patients with positive δ‑catenin expression was shorter than that of patients with negative δ‑catenin expression (P=0.005). Furthermore, Cox multivariate analysis indicated that the tumor, nodes and metastasis stage (P=0.02) and positive δ-catenin expression (P=0.033) were independent prognostic factors in CRC. The present study therefore indicated that δ-catenin may be a suitable independent prognostic factor for CRC.