Persistent E-cadherin expression in inflammatory breast cancer.
E-cadherin is a transmembrane glycoprotein that mediates epithelial cell-to-cell adhesion. Because loss of E-cadherin expression results in disruption of cellular clusters, it has been postulated that E-cadherin functions as a tumor suppressor protein. The role of E-cadherin in inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), a distinct and highly aggressive form of breast cancer, is largely unknown. The aim of our study was to elucidate whether E-cadherin expression contributes to the development and progression of the IBC phenotype and to investigate any differences in E-cadherin expression between IBC and stage-matched non-IBC. Forty-two breast cancer cases (20 IBC and 22 non-IBC) were identified. Strict and well-accepted criteria were used for the diagnosis of IBC. Clinical and pathologic features were studied, and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections were immunostained for E-cadherin, estrogen and progesterone receptors (ER and PR, respectively), and HER2/neu. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher's exact test. All IBC uniformly expressed E-cadherin, whereas 15 of the 22 (68%) of the non-IBC expressed the protein (P = .006). Intralymphatic tumor emboli in the IBC cases were also all E-cadherin positive. Two IBC tumors demonstrated invasive lobular histology, and both cases were positive for E-cadherin. Of the non-IBC cases, three were invasive lobular carcinomas, and all were positive for E-cadherin. No association was found between E-cadherin expression and ER, PR status, or HER2/neu overexpression. Our study demonstrates that there is a strong association between E-cadherin expression and IBC and suggests that E-cadherin may be involved in the pathogenesis of this form of advanced breast cancer. In our study, we demonstrate that circulating IBC tumor cells strongly express E-cadherin, thereby providing an important exception to the positive association between E-cadherin loss and poor prognosis in breast cancer.
Kleer
C G
CG
Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. kleer@umich.edu
van Golen
K L
KL
Braun
T
T
Merajver
S D
SD
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000556:secondary; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008208:Lymphatic System / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis
D015820:Cadherins; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone