Clinical significance of E-cadherin expression in thyroid neoplasms.
OBJECTIVE
E-cadherin, a calcium-dependent transmembrane glycoprotein, is an adhesion molecule. We studied clinical significance of E-cadherin expression in thyroid neoplasms.


METHODS
We immunohistochemically studied E-cadherin expression in 60 normal tissue specimens of thyroid tissues and in 82 follicular adenomas, 53 papillary carcinomas, 4 follicular carcinomas, 2 medullary carcinomas, and 5 anaplastic carcinomas of the thyroid.


RESULTS
In papillary carcinoma, E-cadherin expression was preserved significantly less often than in follicular adenoma or normal thyroid tissue (P < 0.01). Preserved E-cadherin expression was seen less often among papillary carcinomas with lymph node metastasis than in those without metastasis (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
This loss of E-cadherin expression may be involved in regional lymph node metastasis and in malignant potential of thyroid neoplasms. J. Surg. Oncol. 2001;76:176-180.
Second Department of Surgery, Nagoya City University Medical School, Nagoya, Japan.
A
A
Naito
H
H
Iwase
T
T
Kuzushima
T
T
Nakamura
S
S
Kobayashi
D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000378:metabolism; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism; D018276:Carcinoma, Medullary / Q000378:metabolism; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000378:metabolism; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D015820:Cadherins