title: Differential expression of E-cadherin, β-catenin, and Lewis x between invasive hydatidiform moles and post-molar choriocarcinomas.
abstract: Trophoblast cell adhesion and migration are carefully coordinated during normal placental development. We have compared the expression of three adhesion molecules, E-cadherin, β-catenin, and Lewis x, by immunohistochemistry during normal trophoblast differentiation, and in hydatidiform moles and choriocarcinomas. Both E-cadherin and β-catenin were expressed in normal placenta cytotrophoblast, and this expression decreased with trophoblast maturation. E-cadherin was mainly localized along the contact between cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast, which indicates its role in the differentiation of the syncytial layer. Lewis x disappeared progressively during differentiation of normal villous vessels, and was expressed in molar pregnancies. Interestingly, whereas choriocarcinomas were not, or poorly, stained, invasive hydatidiform moles (invHMs) strongly expressed Lewis x in vascular structures. This observation correlated well with E-cadherin and β-catenin expression and suggests that these three markers are associated with the invasive transformation. The presence of robust endothelial structures in invHMs could also explain their ability to maintain organized villous architecture (contrary to metastatic choriocarcinomas) during their invasion of extrauterine tissues such as the lung or the brain after dissemination through the blood flow. In our hands, Lewis x appeared to be a new, reliable marker that can be used to clearly distinguish invHMs from choriocarcinomas.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U972 Les Cellules Souches: de leurs niches aux applications thérapeutiques, Hôpital P. Brousse, Bâtiment Lavoisier, 14 avenue P.V. Couturier, 94800 Villejuif, France. jean-jacques.candelier@u-psud.fr
authors.forename: Jean-Jacques
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Candelier
authors.forename: Lucien
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Frappart
authors.forename: Ange Lucien
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Diatta
authors.forename: Tarik
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yadaden
authors.forename: Mamadou-Lamine
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cissé
authors.forename: Jean-Marie
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Afoutou
authors.forename: Jean-Yves
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Picard
authors.forename: Benoît
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mennesson
authors.forename: Rima
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Slim
authors.forename: Karim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Si-Tayeb
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Coullin
mesh_terms: D059786:Abnormal Karyotype; D000328:Adult; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002822:Choriocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D002820:Hydatidiform Mole, Invasive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D016256:Lewis X Antigen / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D016256:Lewis X Antigen; D051176:beta Catenin