[E-cadherin expression and its clinical significance in cervical cancer].
OBJECTIVE
To study the clinical significance of E-cadherin (E-CD) expression in cervical cancer.


METHODS
Specimens of 60 cervical cancer, 10 normal cervical epithelia and 12 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia(CIN) were examined for E-CD expression by immunohistochemical staining.


RESULTS
E-CD was expressed in all of 10 specimens of normal cervical epithelia. Positive staining was seen in 66.7% of CIN, 46.7% of cervical cancer. In cervical cancer, the frequency of abnormal E-CD expression was correlated to pathologic grade, lymph node metastasis and clinical stage (P < 0.05). The higher the pathologic grade of tumor, the lower was the expression of E-CD. Negative E-CD expression was significantly more frequent in the advanced stage of cervical cancer with lymph node metastasis.


CONCLUSIONS
Decreased expression of E-CD is a useful parameter of cervical malignancy.
Department of Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an University of Medical Sciences, Xi'an 710061, China.
H
H
Sun
X
X
Liu
M
M
Li
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015820:Cadherins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D015820:Cadherins