Decreased E-cadherin immunoreactivity correlates with poor survival in patients with bladder tumors.
E-cadherin, an intercellular adhesion molecule, has been shown to behave like an invasion suppressor gene in vitro. This may explain the inverse relation between expression of E-cadherin and tumor grade that was found in certain cancers. We therefore examined E-cadherin expression in bladder cancer samples from patients with known clinical follow-up. Forty-nine snap-frozen specimens (24 superficial and 25 invasive tumors) and 4 samples of normal urothelium were retrospectively analyzed with anti-E-cadherin monoclonal antibodies. In normal urothelium E-cadherin is expressed homogeneously with a typical membranous staining at cell-cell borders. Decreased expression is found in 5 of 24 superficial tumors and in 19 of 25 invasive cancers. Completely negative tumors are infrequent (4 cases). Most of the time a heterogeneous staining, which may correspond to an unstable E-cadherin expression during tumor development, is seen. Decreased E-cadherin expression correlates with both increased grade and stage (chi 2 = 9.5, P < 0.01, and chi 2 = 14.9, P < 0.005, respectively). More importantly, abnormal E-cadherin expression correlates with shorter survival (log rank test: chi 2 = 16.5, P < 0.001). In keeping with its in vitro invasion suppressor function, decreased E-cadherin expression correlates with the clinical aggressiveness of bladder tumors. This is the first report of E-cadherin as a marker with prognostic value. This parameter must now be tested in a large prospective study to assess its precise clinical relevance.
Bringuier
P P
PP
Department of Urology, University Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Umbas
R
R
Schaafsma
H E
HE
Karthaus
H F
HF
Debruyne
F M
FM
Schalken
J A
JA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015820:Cadherins / Q000032:analysis*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology
D015820:Cadherins