title: Decreased expression of E-cadherin and Yamamoto-Kohama's mode of invasion highly correlates with lymph node metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A reduction in cell-cell adhesion in cancer cells is an essential step in the progression from localized malignancy to metastatic disease. E-Cadherin is an important component of cell-cell adhesion molecules and may be a crucial determinant of tumor invasion and metastasis. E-Cadherin expression is reported to be correlated with lymph node metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The objective of this experiment is to examine the factors that are associated with invasion and metastasis of esophageal SCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-six cases of esophageal SCC were examined by immunohistochemical staining for E-cadherin. The relationship between E-cadherin-staining patterns, conventional clinicopathological parameters and Yamamoto-Kohama's (Y-K's) mode of invasion were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression of E-cadherin on the cell membrane was reduced or lost in some of the esophageal SCC. Lymph node metastasis was highly correlated with the expression pattern of E-cadherin (p = 0.0002) and also highly correlated with Y-K's mode of invasion (p = 0.0078). However, lymph node metastasis was not correlated with any conventional clinicopathological parameters for invasion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that E-cadherin plays a crucial role in invasion and metastasis in esophageal SCC, and that Y-K's mode of invasion highly reflects the invasiveness and metastatic potentials of esophageal SCC cells. Therefore, examination of the expression of E-cadherin and Y-K's mode of invasion would be helpful in predicting lymph node metastasis in esophageal SCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical and Molecular Pathology, Dokkyo University School of Medicine, Tochigi, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kaihara
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kusaka
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawamata
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oda
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Imura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujimori
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000556:secondary*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins