Decreased E-cadherin expression correlates with poor survival in patients with gastric cancer.
E-cadherin, Ca(2+)-dependent intracellular adhesion molecule, is known to be an invasion suppressor gene. To elucidate the correlation between E-cadherin expression and invasion or metastasis in gastric cancer, we examined E-cadherin tissue status immunohistochemically. Ninety-eight primary gastric cancer, prepared by AMeX method, were retrospectively analyzed with anti-E-cadherin monoclonal antibody. In normal gastric epithelium, E-cadherin is expressed homogeneously with a typical membranous staining at cell-cell borders. Decreased and heterogeneous expression is found in 70 of 98 tumours. Tumours with decreased E-cadherin expression had a tendency to infiltrate more deeply in stomach wall, and metastasize in lymph nodes or peritoneal surface. More importantly, decreased E-cadherin expression correlates with shorter survival (z = 3.98, P = 0.00086). These results may indicate that E-cadherin tissue status is a powerful prognostic indicator in gastric cancer. The high malignant potential of tumours with decreased E-cadherin expression may be associated with high potential of lymph node metastasis and peritoneal dissemination.
Yonemura
Y
Y
Second Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa Ken, Japan.
Ninomiya
I
I
Kaji
M
M
Sugiyama
K
K
Fujimura
T
T
Tsuchihara
K
K
Kawamura
T
T
Miyazaki
I
I
Endou
Y
Y
Tanaka
M
M
D015820:Cadherins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate
D015820:Cadherins; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen