Differential expression of E-cadherin gene in human neuroepithelial tumors.
Cadherins are cell-to-cell adhesion molecules that play an important role in the establishment of adherent-type junctions by mediating calcium-dependent cellular interactions. The CDH1 gene encodes the transmembrane glycoprotein E-cadherin which is important in maintaining homophilic cell-cell adhesion in epithelial tissues. E-cadherin interacts with catenin proteins to maintain tissue architecture. Structural defects or loss of expression of E-cadherin have been reported as a common feature in several human cancer types. This study aimed to evaluate the expression of E-cadherin and their correlation with clinical features in microdissected brain tumor samples from 81 patients, divided into 62 astrocytic tumors grades I to IV and 19 medulloblastomas, and from 5 white matter non-neoplasic brain tissue samples. E-cadherin (CDH1) gene expression was analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, Kaplan-Meir, and log-rank tests were performed for statistical analyses. We observed a decrease in expression among pathological grades of neuroepithelial tumors. Non-neoplasic brain tissue showed a higher expression level of CDH1 gene than did neuroepithelial tumors. Expression of E-cadherin gene was higher in astrocytic than embryonal tumors (P = 0.0168). Low-grade malignancy astrocytomas (grades I-II) showed higher CDH1 expression than did high-grade malignancy astrocytomas (grades III-IV) and medulloblastomas (P < 0.0001). Non-neoplasic brain tissue showed a higher expression level of CDH1 gene than grade I malignancy astrocytomas, considered as benign tumors (P = 0.0473). These results suggest that a decrease in E-cadherin gene expression level in high-grade neuroepithelial tumors may be a hallmark of malignancy in dedifferentiated tumors and that it may be possibly correlated with their progression and dissemination.
Departamento de Genética, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil. motta@ufpi.edu.br
F J N
FJ
Motta
E T
ET
Valera
A K B
AK
Lucio-Eterovic
R G P
RG
Queiroz
L
L
Neder
C A
CA
Scrideli
H R
HR
Machado
C G
CG
Carlotti-Junior
S K N
SK
Marie
L G
LG
Tone
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D018302:Neoplasms, Neuroepithelial / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D015820:Cadherins; D012333:RNA, Messenger