[Expression pattern of E-cadherin and p120-catenin in infiltrating lobular carcinoma and ductal carcinoma of the breast and its significance].
OBJECTIVE
To determine how patients with infiltrating lobular carcinoma (ILC) differ from patients with the more common infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC), and observe the different expression patterns of E-cadherin and p120-catenin proteins in both ILCs and IDCs.


METHODS
The patients with ILC admitted to our hospital from Jan 1999 to Dec 2006 and patients with IDC from Jan 2000 to Dec 2000 were included in this study. All their pathological slides were reviewed, and their clinical data and treatment variables were analyzed retrospectively. Then the expression patterns of E-cadherin and p120-catenin proteins in both ILCs and IDCs were detected by immunohistochemistry on tissue microarray.


RESULTS
The 5-year overall survival was 81.7% for ILCs and 79.1% for IDCs (P = 0.055). The 5-year disease-free survival was 61.8% for ILCs and 83.7% for IDCs (P < 0.001). Cytoplasmic localization of p120-catenin and loss of E-cadherin expression were more common in ILCs than in IDCs. The complete losses of E-cadherin in ILCs and IDCs were 55.6% (20/36) and 20.4% (45/221, P < 0.001), respectively. The p120-catenin showed a diffuse cytoplasmic localization in 66.7% (24/36) of ILCs and 16.3% (36/221) of IDCs (P < 0.001). Interestingly, the cytoplasmic localization of p120-catenin was clearly associated with the absence of E-cadherin expression in ILCs (P = 0.002), cytoplasmic localization of p120-catenin and absence of E-cadherin expression were observed 55.6% (20/36) in ILCs compared with 4.1% (9/221) in IDCs (P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
ILC has several specific biological and prognostic characteristics which are different in IDC. Different expression patterns of E-cadherin and p120-catenin proteins can be helpful to recognize ILC from IDC.
Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical college, Beijing 100021, China.
Lan
L
Li
Xiao-feng
XF
Bi
Xin
X
Xu
Xiu-yun
XY
Liu
Gui-hua
GH
Shen
Lei
L
Guo
Yan-ling
YL
Yuan
Fang
F
Wang
Ming-rong
MR
Wang
Hong-ying
HY
Yang
D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D051177:Catenins / Q000378:metabolism*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D000095002:Delta Catenin
D015820:Cadherins; D051177:Catenins; D000095002:Delta Catenin; C000722347:CTNND1 protein, human