Changes of AXIN-1 and beta-catenin in neuroepithelial brain tumors

In the present study changes of components of Wnt signaling pathway--axin (AXIN1) and beta-catenin (CTNNB1) in a sample of 72 neuroepithelial brain tumors were investigated. AXIN-1 gene was tested by PCR/loss of heterozygosity (LOH). Immunostaining and image analysis revealed the quantity and localization of relevant proteins. Polymorphic marker for AXIN-1, showed LOH in 11.1% of tumors. LOH was distributed to 6.3% of glioblastomas, one was found in neuroepithelial dysembrioplastic tumor and one in medulloblastoma. Down regulation of axin expression and up regulation of beta-catenin were detected in the analyzed tumors. Axin was observed in the cytoplasm in 68.8% of samples, in 28.1% in both the cytoplasm and nucleus and 3.1% had no expression. Beta-catenin was observed mainly in the nucleus and cytoplasm (59.4%). Expression in 34.4% of samples was in the cytoplasm and 6.3% showed no expression. Comparison of mean values of relative increase of axin and beta-catenin showed that they are significantly reversely proportional (P = 0.014). Relative quantity of beta-catenin in patients with gross deletion of AXIN1 was significantly higher in comparison to patients without LOH (P = 0.040). Our results demonstrate that changes of key components of the Wnt signaling play a role in neuroepithelial brain tumors.