title: [Expression of E-cadherin in the tumor tissue and serum of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To survey E-cadherin (E-cad) expression in tumor tissue and serum of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients, and to observe the clinical significance of their expression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-eight samples of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissue, 23 samples of erosive esophagitis tissue, 24 samples of normal esophagus tissue and the corresponding sera were obtained. We used immunohistochemistry (IHC) to detect expression of E-cad in the tissues and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to examine expression of E-cad in the serum. Furthermore, we collected complete clinicopathological data from the participating patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression level of E-cad in the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissue was lower than that in normal esophagus tissues and erosive esophagitis tissues (P<0.05). Moreover, the expression level of E-cad was related to the depth of invasion, the status of lymph node metastasis and the level of differentiation of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (P<0.05). The expression level of serum E-cad of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients was obviously higher than that in the serum of normal esophagus controls and erosive esophagitis patients (P<0.05). But the expression level of E-Cad in the serum of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients was unrelated to clinicopathological features. The expression level of E-cad in the tissue was not correlated with that in the serum(P=0.134).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The expression of E-cad in tissues may assistin the diagnosis and prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The expression of E-cad in the serum may assistin the diagnostic screening of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Shukui
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wenbin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xingguo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Bangshun
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Youcai
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Jinsong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Guoxin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015703:Antigens, CD; D015820:Cadherins / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; C513384:CDH1 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins