title: Clinical implications of N-cadherin expression in gastric cancer.
abstract: Neo-expression of N-cadherin in cancer cells is regarded as a significant event in tumor progression via epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). No reports have detailed the clinical impact of N-cadherin expression in gastric cancer. We retrospectively examined the co-expression of N-cadherin and E-cadherin in human gastric carcinoma and analyzed the clinicopathological significance of N-cadherin expression. One hundred and forty-six gastric cancer patients who received curative gastrectomy were enrolled. E-cadherin and N-cadherin immunoreactivity in cancer tissue was evaluated by the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex technique. The correlation between N-cadherin and E-cadherin expression and clinicopathological parameters were analyzed. N-cadherin-positive and -negative expression were found in 31 and 115 patients, respectively. N-cadherin expression positively correlated with hematogenous recurrence (P < 0.01) and negatively correlated with patients' postoperative outcomes (P < 0.05). Moreover, only in the E-cadherin-preserved group was prognostic significance found according to N-cadherin expression (P < 0.01). We could not show a significant relationship between N-cadherin expression and EMT in gastric cancer. However, neo N-cadherin expression significantly affected patient's survival in gastric cancer. Therefore, we concluded that neo N-cadherin expression may be a useful prognostic marker independent of E-cadherin expression.
authors.affiliation: Digestive Surgery, Surgical Oncology, Kagoshima University School of Medicine, Kagoshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Takahito
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kamikihara
authors.forename: Sumiya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishigami
authors.forename: Takaaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arigami
authors.forename: Masataka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okumura
authors.forename: Yasuto
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Uchikado
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kita
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kurahara
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kijima
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.forename: Shoji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Natsugoe
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015820:Cadherins