E-cadherin expression in surgically-resected non-small cell lung cancers--a clinicopathological study.
BACKGROUND
E-Cadherin is a subclass of the cadherin family that plays a major role in the maintenance of intercellular junctions in normal epithelium. Decreased expression of E-cadherin might be closely related to invasiveness and dedifferentiation in human cancers. This study is aimed at investigating the clinicopathological significance of E-cadherin expression and its impact on the prognosis in surgically resected non-small-cell lung cancer patients.


METHODS
Using immunohistochemical staining, the expression of E-cadherin was studied in 207 surgically resected lung cancer specimens from January 1990 through December 1994. The clinicopathological data and survival status were recorded and analysed against the E-cadherin expression level in each tumor.


RESULTS
E-cadherin expression was detected in 122 of the 207 lung tumors (59.0%), and the expression was significantly lower in tumors with poor differentiation (p < 0.001), in tumors with vascular invasion (p < 0.05), and in tumors with direct invasion into surrounding structures (p < 0.01). There was no correlation between E-cadherin expression, and tumor stage and regional lymph-node metastasis. There was no significant difference in survival rate between higher (> 40%) and lower (< 40%) E-cadherin expression groups; however, in tumors 3 cm or less, a significant difference was found between higher and lower E-cadherin expressions (p < 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Underexpression of E-cadherin is associated with poor differentiation and invasiveness in NSCLC. In patients with small NSCLC (< or = 3 cm), higher E-cadherin expression (> 40%) significantly had a favorable prognosis.
Lee
Y C
YC
Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University.
Wu
C T
CT
Chen
C S
CS
Chang
Y L
YL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000032:analysis*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate
D015415:Biomarkers; D015820:Cadherins