title: Expression and significance of twist, E-cadherin, and N-cadherin in gastrointestinal stromal tumors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Twist, a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, has been reported to play a key role in the metastatic progression of several types of cancer.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expression and clinical significance of Twist, E-cadherin, and N-cadherin in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs).
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of Twist, E-cadherin, and N-cadherin in GISTs was determined by immunohistochemistry, and their relationship with clinicopathological characteristics was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positive rates of Twist, E-cadherin, and N-cadherin in GISTs were 66.7 % (52/78), 35.9 % (28/78), and 75.6 % (59/78), respectively. Twist was expressed significantly more in GISTs with distant metastasis or local invasion (p < 0.05). Although E-cadherin was expressed significantly less in cases of GISTs with distant metastasis (p < 0.05), expression of N-cadherin did not differ significantly according to clinical and pathological characteristics (p > 0.05). Expression of Twist was correlated positively with E-cadherin (rs = -0.253, p = 0.026) and negatively with N-cadherin (rs = 0.245, p = 0.030).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Twist was expressed significantly more and E-cadherin significantly less in GISTs with metastasis, and expression of both was closely related to metastasis of GISTs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Gui Zhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang, 550002 Guizhou, China. dingjieboy@126.com
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Zhongmin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Guoqing
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Senlin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D046152:Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors / Q000378:metabolism*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051879:Twist-Related Protein 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C050361:CDH2 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C103173:TWIST1 protein, human; D051879:Twist-Related Protein 1