title: E-cadherin expression in acquired cholesteatoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The epithelial cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin is important for maintenance normal tissue architecture and for cell-cell communication and immune cell migration. E-cadherin is also present in cholesteatomas. This study determined E-cadherin expression in acquired cholesteatomas and analyzed its expression according to cholesteatoma clinical and histological characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated E-cadherin expression in 30 samples from operated patients with acquired middle ear cholesteatomas that were classified according to their clinical and histological characteristics. E-cadherin expression in cholesteatoma was determined immunohistochemically. A semi quantitative method was used to determine the index of expression of E-cadherin and t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests and Spearman correlation analysis were used for statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found significant expression of E-cadherin on CD1, CD3 total, CD4 (p < 0.05), high expression of E-cadherin on CD8 total and CD19/CD38 lymphocytes (p < 0.01) and very high expression of E-cadherin on mast cells and antigen-presenting cells, including Langerhans cells (p < 0.005). We graduated results as no statistically significant (p>0.05), statistically significant (0.05 > p > 0.01), highly statistically significant (0.01 > p > 0.005) and very highly statistically significant (p < 0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  E-cadherin expression was the same in the cholesteatoma matrix in all samples. There were no differences in expression according to the clinical and histological characteristics of the cholesteatomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Otology Unit, Military Medical Academy, Belgrade, Serbia. milan.erdoglija@gmail.com
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Erdoglija
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Milanovic
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Colic
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jovic
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D018424:Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins