title: The clinical significance of soluble E-cadherin in nonsmall cell lung cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Aberrant expression of the epithelial transmembrane adhesion molecule E-cadherin (E-cad) has been associated with many human malignancies. In the present study the clinical significance of serum levels of soluble E-cadherin (sE-cad) in newly diagnosed patients with non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  An enzyme linked immunospecific assay (ELISA) to determine the circulating levels of sE-cad in 20 newly diagnosed patients with NSCLC as well as in 29 healthy volunteers (control group) was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  NSCLC patients exerted increased circulating levels of sE-cad compared with individuals of the control group (p < 0.001). An association was also detected between serum sE-cad levels and the development of distant metastases. On the contrary, no statistically significant correlation could be established with histological type, gender and smoking habits. Patients with increased sE-cad levels at diagnosis had worser outcome, although multivariate analysis failed to demonstrate that sE-cad levels represent an independent prognostic factor of survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that E-cad plays a role in the pathogenesis of NSCLC. sE-cad levels may be further studied as a potential prognostic biomarker.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Clinical Unit, Ioannina University Medical Faculty, Greece. kcharala@cc.uoi.gr
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Charalabopoulos
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gogali
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dalavaga
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Daskalopoulos
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vassiliou
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bablekos
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karakosta
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Constantopoulos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D015820:Cadherins / Q000097:blood*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012907:Smoking
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015820:Cadherins