title: Reduced E-cadherin expression as a cause of distinctive signet-ring cell variant in colorectal carcinoma.
abstract: Colorectal signet-ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) is a rare type of adenocarcinoma and presents with distinctive clinicopathological features. This study was performed to assess the biological characteristics of colorectal SRCC regarding the E-cadherin expression. Seventeen patients with primary colorectal SRCC were identified and their clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed. The mean age of the 17 patients was 45.3 yr (14-68). Immunohistochemical staining of E-cadherin and beta-catenin were performed in ten colorectal SRCCs and in 30 ordinary colorectal adenocarcinomas as control. Primary colorectal SRCC occurred in 0.7% of 2,388 colorectal adenocarcinomas. Most patients had advanced stage tumor at surgery (stage III and IV, AJCC: 82%). Five-year survival rate was 16%. Peritoneal seeding was the most common recurrence pattern (41%) and liver metastasis was not identified. All SRCCs showed a markedly reduced or absent expression of E-cadherin on immunohistochemical staining, whereas seven (23.3%) of ordinary carcinomas showed reduced expression, thereby indicating a significant difference between the two groups (p<0.005). In immunohistochemical staining for beta-catenin, eight of ten SRCCs showed reduced membrane expression that did not attain statistical significance compared to ordinary adenocarcinomas. It is suggested that aberrant E-cadherin expression may explain the distinct clinicopathological features in primary colorectal SRCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 388-1 Pungnap-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul 138-736, Korea. hckim@www.amc.seoul.kr
authors.forename: Hee Cheol
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ho Jeong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jin Cheon
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015820:Cadherins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018279:Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051176:beta Catenin
chemical_list: C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051176:beta Catenin