Parity is associated with lower cervical E-cadherin expression in postmenopausal women.
OBJECTIVE
Epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin), a transmembrane glycoprotein involved in calcium-dependent homophilic cell-cell adhesion, is expressed aberrantly during cervical carcinogenesis. E-cadherin expression and putatively implicated predictors in healthy women remain a rather under-investigated area. The objective of this study is to evaluate the possible associations between E-cadherin expression and reproductive/lifestyle factors in cervical epithelial cells from postmenopausal women.


METHODS
A total of 105 healthy postmenopausal women (aged 45-68 years old) attending a university menopause clinic were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Pap smears were derived and E-cadherin immunostaining was evaluated in squamous, glandular and squamous metaplastic cells, using a semi-quantitative method (rating scale: 0-3). Reproductive and lifestyle factors were obtained from patients' chart review.


RESULTS
In squamous cells, women with a history of 0-1 deliveries presented with a higher score vs women with 2-4 deliveries (P = 0.003). Social drinkers and women drinking alcohol daily exhibited a higher E-cadherin immunostaining score in squamous cells vs non-drinkers (0.96 +/- 0.72 vs 0.56 +/- 0.65, P = 0.004). A higher dietary calcium intake was marginally correlated with a lower staining score in squamous cells (0.94 +/- 0.78 for low, 0.71 +/- 0.70 for average, 0.45 +/- 0.52 for high consumption, P = 0.073).


CONCLUSIONS
E-cadherin expression seems to be associated with reproductive history and lifestyle habits in squamous cervical cells from healthy postmenopausal women. E-cadherin might participate in the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of parity as a risk factor for cervical cancer.
Sioulas
Vasileios
V
Menopause Clinic, 2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Athens, Aretaieio Hospital, Athens, Greece. vsioulas@hotmail.com
Lambrinoudaki
Irene
I
Politi
Ekaterini
E
Kyroudi
Aspasia
A
Sergentanis
Theodoros N
TN
Panoulis
Constantinos
C
Augoulea
Areti
A
Kaparos
George
G
Creatsa
Maria
M
Koutselini
Helen
H
Papadias
Konstantinos
K
D000368:Aged; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010298:Parity; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy
D015820:Cadherins