title: Methylation status and expression of E-cadherin and cadherin-11 in gestational trophoblastic diseases.
abstract: The clinical significance of cadherins in gestational trophoblastic diseases (GTD) is not fully understood. In this study, the expression of E-cadherin and cadherin-11 in 12 normal placentas, 32 cases of hydatidiform mole (HM) including 15 complete HMs and 17 partial HMs, and five choriocarcinomas was investigated by immunohistochemistry and correlated with follow-up of HMs. Cases with available frozen blocks were further analyzed by western blot and semiquantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Methylation of E-cadherin was investigated by methylation-specific PCR in six normal first trimester placentas, 19 HMs and their associated deciduas. E-cadherin expression was localized to cytotrophoblast and intermediate trophoblast whereas cadherin-11 was expressed in syncytiotrophoblast, intermediate trophoblast, and decidua. Immunoreactivity of E-cadherin was reduced in choriocarcinoma and complete HM when compared with that in normal first trimester placenta (P < 0.01, P = 0.04). Hypermethylation of E-cadherin was demonstrated in three complete HMs with the lowest level of E-cadherin. Compared with normal first trimester placenta, immunoreactivity of cadherin-11 was higher in complete HM (P = 0.02), but lower in choriocarcinoma (P = 0.02). Such differential expression was confirmed by western blot and semiquantitative RT-PCR. No obvious association was observed between the development of persistent trophoblastic disease with the expression of E-cadherin and cadherin-11.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Queen Mary Hospital, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Tsao
authors.forename: K Y K
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: H Y S
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Ngan
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Maccalman
authors.forename: A N Y
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Cheung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015820:Cadherins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002822:Choriocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D031901:Gestational Trophoblastic Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D006828:Hydatidiform Mole / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008745:Methylation; D010920:Placenta / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; C086960:osteoblast cadherin