E-cadherin expression in squamous cell carcinomas of head and neck: inverse correlation with tumor dedifferentiation and lymph node metastasis.
Tissue sections of 32 squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of the head and neck were investigated for the expression of the epithelium-specific cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin. We found that E-cadherin expression is inversely correlated both with the loss of differentiation of the tumor and with lymph node metastasis. The well-differentiated SCCs expressed E-cadherin, often as strongly as the normal stratified epithelium (12 cases were tested); the moderately differentiated SCCs expressed intermediate amounts of E-cadherin or were heterogeneous (15 cases were analyzed); whereas the poorly differentiated SCCs were all E-cadherin-negative (five cases were investigated). Furthermore, seven of eight infiltrated lymph nodes of SCCs were E-cadherin-negative. These data indicate that the loss of the cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin in fact plays an important role in the progression of human squamous cell carcinomas, i.e., that down-regulation of expression is associated with dedifferentiation and metastasis of the tumor cells in vivo.
Institut für Zellbiologie (Tumorforschung), Medical School, University of Essen, Germany.
J H
JH
Schipper
U H
UH
Frixen
J
J
Behrens
A
A
Unger
K
K
Jahnke
W
W
Birchmeier
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015820:Cadherins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D010610:Pharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis
D015820:Cadherins; D012333:RNA, Messenger