Expression of E-cadherin in primary oral squamous cell carcinoma and metastatic lymph nodes: an immunohistochemical study.
BACKGROUND
E-cadherin plays an important role in cell-to-cell adhesion and cell motility and its loss is associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) progression. The aim of this study was to determine the expression of E-cadherin in various grades of OSCC and to correlate changes in the expression between these various grades and metastatic lymph nodes.


METHODS
Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to detect E-cadherin expression in normal oral mucosa, primary OSCC (n = 37), and metastatic lymph nodes (n = 10). E-cadherin immunoreactivity was correlated with grades of differentiation and with clinicopathological features.


RESULTS
E-cadherin immunoreactivity was found to inversely correlate with the loss of cell differentiation. The expression of E-cadherin decreased significantly in advanced cases of OSCC. However, increase in E-cadherin immunoreactivity was seen in early lesions, that is, in well differentiated (n = 9) and moderately differentiated OSCC (n = 13). Furthermore, E-cadherin was negative in majority of metastatic lymph nodes (7/10).


CONCLUSIONS
Loss of the cell adhesion and E-cadherin plays an important role in progression of OSCC, that is, down regulation of its expression is associated with de-differentiation and metastasis.
Kaur
Gurkiran
G
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial, Manipal College of Dental Sciences and Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, Karnataka, India.
Carnelio
Sunitha
S
Rao
Nirmala
N
Rao
Laxmi
L