title: Upregulated expression levels of ADAM10 and EGFR and downregulated expression levels of E-cadherin in hepatocellular carcinomas.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the expression and significance of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 10 (ADAM10), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and E-cadherin protein in hepatocellular carcinomas. The expression levels of ADAM10, EGFR and E-cadherin were analyzed in 40 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma using immunohistochemistry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The expression levels of ADAM10, EGFR and E-cadherin were significantly correlated with portal vein thrombosis, intrahepatic metastasis, differentiation degree and tumor size (P<0.05). In hepatocellular carcinoma, the expression levels of ADAM10 and EGFR were increased and the levels of E-cadherin were decreased compared with those in the adjacent tissues. The elevated expression levels of ADAM10 and EGFR may be associated with the malignancy of the tumors. E-cadherin expression is negatively correlated with the degree of malignancy. The detection of ADAM10, EGFR and E-cadherin expression levels may contribute to an understanding of the oncogenesis and development of hepatocellular carcinomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.forename: Yumin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Zuoren
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
keywords: ADAM10; E-cadherin; epidermal growth factor receptor; hepatocellular carcinoma