[Expression and significance of E-cadherin in adenoid cystic carcinoma of the salivary glands].
OBJECTIVE
There are many researches on the relationship between E-cadherin and cancers, but the results from different studies are various. Recent studies showed that E-cadherin might have complex functions in tumor metastasis. This study was to explore the expression of E-cadherin in adenoid cystic carcinoma of the salivary glands and its correlations to nerve invasion, regional recurrence, distant metastasis and prognosis of this disease.


METHODS
The expression of E-cadherin in 55 specimens of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the salivary glands and 20 specimens of normal salivary gland tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry. Patients' survival was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method. The differences between the 2 groups were compared by log-rank test and Chi2 test.


RESULTS
The 5-and 10-year cumulative survival rates of the 55 patients were 78.2% and 51.4%. The positive rate of E-cadherin was significantly higher in normal salivary gland tissues than in adenoid cystic carcinoma tissues (90.0% vs.63.6%, P<0.05). The positive rate of E-cadherin was significantly lower in the group with nerve invasion, regional recurrence and distant metastasis than in the group without (50.0% vs. 71.4%, P=0.012; 52.4% vs. 70.6%, P=0.046; 47.8% vs. 75.0%, P=0.013).


CONCLUSIONS
E-cadherin expression is down-regulated in adenoid cystic carcinoma of the salivary glands, which is correlated to nerve invasion, regional recurrence and distant metastasis.
Lai
Fei-Yun
FY
State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, PR China.
Zhang
Quan
Q
Wu
Qiu-Liang
QL
Qing
Jing
J
Cao
Yun
Y
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy; D003390:Cranial Nerve Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D005155:Facial Nerve Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery; D015996:Survival Rate
D015820:Cadherins