Table 2 Studies where Wnt-5a has a tumour-promoting effect

Melanoma Primary tumours and matched metastases (59)

IH

Increased expression as disease progressed (P=0.013)

Multivariate analysis showed Wnt-5a expression was an independent risk factor for reduced metastasis-free and overall survival

Da Forno et al (2008)

Breast cancer cell lines normal tissue (10) Metastatic tissue (9) Normal breast cancer cell lines (11)

mRNA levels

Over expression of Wnt-5A in metastasis-derived breast cancer cells in comparison with normal tissues and to breast cancer cell lines

ND

Fernandez-Cobo et al (2007)

Non-small-cell lung cancer (123)

IH

Expression of Wnt-5a in 58% of patients

Wnt-5a expression was associated with reduced overall survival and was a bad prognostic indicator

Huang et al (2005)

Gastric cancer (237)

IH

Increased expression detected in 30% of tumours and was frequently seen in tumours of a higher grade

Positivity correlated with advanced stage and poor prognosis

Kurayoshi et al (2006)

Pancreatic cancer (16)

IH

Upregulation in 81% of tumours compared with normal tissue

ND —

Ripka et al (2007)

Prostate cancer (17)

Gene methylation

Reduced methylation in 65% of tumours

ND —

Wang et al (2007)

Melanoma Nevi (8) Primary melanoma (10) Metastases (9)

IH

Low expression 25% of Nevi, expression in 80% of primary melanoma, 89% of metastases showed large regions of expression.

Wnt5a overexpression correlates strongly both to survival and time to the development of metastases

Weeraratna et al (2002)