Neural-cadherin expression associated with angiogenesis in non-small-cell lung cancer patients.
An immunohistochemical analysis for E(epithelial)-cadherin and N(neural)-cadherin expression in relation to tumour angiogenesis was performed in 150 patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In all, 71 carcinomas (47.3%) were E-cadherin-negative. Epithelial-cadherin-negative tumours had lymph node metastases significantly more frequently than E-cadherin-positive tumours (P=0.0100). On the other hand, 46 carcinomas (30.7%) were N-cadherin-positive. Regarding tumour vascularity, there was no significant correlation between E-cadherin expression and tumour vascular. In contrast, the frequency of hypervascular tumours was significantly higher for N-cadherin-positive carcinomas than for N-cadherin-negative carcinomas (P=0.0373). Regarding prognosis, the 5-year survival rate of patients with E-cadherin-negative NSCLCs was significantly lower than that of patients with E-cadherin-positive NSCLCs (P=0.0146). In contrast, of the patients with large cell carcinomas, the 5-year survival rate of patients with N-cadherin-positive tumours was significantly lower than that of patients with N-cadherin-negative tumours (P=0.0013). A multivariate analysis demonstrated that E-cadherin status (P=0.0339) and tumour vascularity (P=0.0295) were significant indicators for survival. In conclusion, E-cadherin expression and tumour vascularity are significant prognostic factors of NSCLC patients. Furthermore, N-cadherin expression is associated with tumour angiogenesis, and its expression is one of prognostic factors of patients with large cell carcinomas. Thus, N-cadherin also might play a specific role in undifferentiated large cell carcinomas.
Nakashima
T
T
Second Department of Surgery, Kagawa Medical University, 1750-1 Miki-cho, Kita-gun, Japan.
Huang
C
C
Liu
D
D
Kameyama
K
K
Masuya
D
D
Kobayashi
S
S
Kinoshita
M
M
Yokomise
H
H
D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000378:metabolism; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008833:Microcirculation; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate
D018952:Antigens, CD34; D015820:Cadherins