[Difference in expression of epithelial adhesion molecules between primary and metastatic lesions in small-cell lung cancer].
One crucial step in tumor metastasis is detachment of cells from the primary lesion. This involves down-regulation of homophilic binding intercellular adhesion molecules. To determine whether this occurs in metastasis of human small-cell lung cancer to lymph nodes, we examined expression of E-cadherin, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and neural cell adhesion molecule (NACM) on cells from patients with small-cell lung cancer, some cells were obtained from primary lesions and others from lymph-node metastases. Cells in all of the five lines from primary lesions expressed E-cadherin, unlike those in all of the five lines from lymph-node metastases. Cells in all of the five lines from primary lesions expressed CEA, as did those in only one of the five cell lines from lymph-node metastases. Cells in lines from primary and metastatic lesions did not differ in the expression of NCAM (4/5 positive). Expression of E-cadherin and of CEA were closely correlated. Because E-cadherin and CEA are involved in the binding of epithelial cells, these findings demonstrate that metastasis of small-cell lung cancer to lymph nodes is associated with a lack of the epithelial intercellular adhesion molecules E-cadherin and CEA. The expression of these molecules is involved in the metastasis of small-cell lung cancer to lymph nodes.
Yoshida
H
H
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
Kobayashi
S
S
Okada
S
S
Hasumi
T
T
Satoh
N
N
Suzuki
S
S
Saito
Y
Y
Fujimura
S
S
D015820:Cadherins / Q000032:analysis*; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000032:analysis*; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000556:secondary*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000032:analysis*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D015820:Cadherins; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules