Expression of cadherin-6 as a novel diagnostic tool to predict prognosis of patients with E-cadherin-absent renal cell carcinoma.
In many carcinomas, E-cadherin is considered to be a prognostic marker for patient survivals, and its decreased expression is associated with metastatic disease. Among renal cell carcinomas (RCCs), however, only 20% of tumors express E-cadherin, whereas a much higher percentage express other cadherins, e.g., N-cadherin and cadherin-6 (T. Shimazui et al, Cancer Res., 56: 3234-3237, 1996). Among these cadherins expressed in RCCs, cadherin-6 has been identified as a major cadherin in the renal proximal tubules and in the tumors themselves. Hence, we have investigated the relationship between prognosis and cadherin-6 expression in tumor cells in 43 patients with RCC. Expression of cadherin-6, E-cadherin, and alpha-catenin was detected immunohistochemically and evaluated microscopically as normal, heterogeneous, or absent. Normal, heterogeneous, and absent expression of cadherin-6 were observed in 19, 16, and 8 of 43 cases, respectively. Coexpression of E-cadherin and cadherin-6 was detected in only 10 cases. Among 30 tumors in which E-cadherin expression was absent, 24 expressed cadherin-6. In addition, the expression pattern of alpha-catenin correlated more highly with that of cadherin-6 than it did with E-cadherin (P = 0.0003 versus 0.025). In survival analyses, aberrant expression of cadherin-6 correlated with poor survivals both among all patients (P = 0.0009) and in those with E-cadherin-absent RCC (P = 0.0008). These results suggest that cadherin-6 is a major cadherin playing an essential role in cell-cell adhesion in E-cadherin-absent RCC.
Shimazui
T
T
Department of Urology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
Oosterwijk
E
E
Akaza
H
H
Bringuier
P
P
Ruijter
E
E
van Berkel
H
H
Wakka
J O
JO
van Bokhoven
A
A
Debruyne
F M
FM
Schalken
J A
JA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015820:Cadherins / Q000032:analysis*; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000737:chemistry; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis
D015820:Cadherins; C087310:K cadherin