title: E-cadherin: a marker for differentiation and invasiveness in prostatic carcinoma.
abstract: Considerable controversy exists concerning the value of histomorphological data in the assessment of the malignant potential of prostatic carcinomas. We investigated the expression pattern of E-cadherin in human prostate at the translational level. E-cadherin is a specific epithelial cell-cell adhesion molecule which has previously been found to be expressed in well-differentiated non-invasive carcinoma cell lines but is lost in many poorly differentiated invasive cell lines. The E-cadherin expression pattern in the prostate samples was correlated with histopathological findings in the same specimens. We found strong E-cadherin expression in normal prostate and benign prostatic hyperplasia. A decrease in or loss of E-cadherin was seen in 13 of 14 locally advanced and in 8 of 9 poorly differentiated prostatic carcinomas. We conclude that downregulation of E-cadherin expression plays a role in prostate carcinogenesis and invasiveness.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Urologie der Universität, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Otto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rembrink
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goepel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meyer-Schwickerath
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rübben
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D015536:Down-Regulation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000378:metabolism; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015820:Cadherins