TY - JOUR AB - The molecular pathogenesis of thymoma remains largely unknown. It has been recently demonstrated, that activation of Wnt signaling pathway leads to increased incidence of thymoma in murine models. The present study investigated the activation of molecules of the Wnt signaling pathway in human thymoma. A total of 112 thymoma cases with complete clinical and follow‑up data and 8 controls were included in the present study. Patients with thymoma and controls were examined immunohistochemically for β‑catenin and E‑cadherin. The mRNA expression levels of CTNNB1, CCND1, MYC, AXIN2 and CDH1 were analyzed by reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR. Immunohistochemically, β‑catenin and E‑cadherin were overexpressed in neoplastic cells of all thymomas. In type A, B1 and non‑invasive type B2 thymoma, both molecules were located in the cytoplasm, in contrast to invasive type B2 and B3 thymoma, where membranous immunopositivities were observed. mRNA expression levels of genes involved in the Wnt pathway and of E‑cadherin were significantly increased in both type A and B thymoma compared with controls; increasing gradually from type B1 to B3, and with higher stage of disease. In recurrent type B thymoma, the mRNA expression of the molecules was significantly higher. Despite the activation of Wnt pathway in indolent type A thymoma, the negative feedback of the pathway was preserved by overexpression of inhibitory molecule axin2, which was not overexpressed in type B thymoma. In summary, the Wnt pathway was activated in human thymoma and may contribute to oncogenesis. Detection of molecules of the Wnt pathway may be of diagnostic and prognostic value. AD - Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Motol University Hospital, Prague 150 06, Czech Republic Department of Oncology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague 128 08, Czech Republic Third Department of Surgery, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Motol University Hospital, Prague 150 06, Czech Republic AU - Vodicka,Prokop AU - Krskova,Lenka AU - Odintsov,Igor AU - Krizova,Ludmila AU - Sedlackova,Eva AU - Schutzner,Jan AU - Zamecnik,Josef DA - 2020/03/01 DO - 10.3892/ol.2020.11343 EP - 2421 IS - 3 JO - Oncol Lett KW - thymoma Wnt β‑catenin E‑cadherin axin2 PY - 2020 SN - 1792-1074 1792-1082 SP - 2413 ST - Expression of molecules of the Wnt pathway and of E‑cadherin in the etiopathogenesis of human thymomas T2 - Oncology Letters TI - Expression of molecules of the Wnt pathway and of E‑cadherin in the etiopathogenesis of human thymomas UR - https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2020.11343 VL - 19 ER -