title: Cell-adhesion molecule expression and the proliferation of malignant mesothelioma: a post-mortem examination.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In order to determine if metastatic malignant mesothelioma cells are more aggressive than primary malignant mesothelioma cells, an analysis of the expression of the adhesion molecules E-cadherin and β-catenin, concomitant with an assessment of the proliferative activity at primary and metastatic sites, was conducted in post-mortem samples.
  
  
  METHODS
  E-cadherin or β-catenin expression was graded according to the percentage of positively-stained tumor cells. The proliferative activity was quantified by the Ki-67 labeling index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Histologically, the majority of metastatic tumors matched the primary tumor. In the epithelioid component of primary tumors, E-cadherin and β-catenin expression ranged from 1+ to 4+.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Malignant mesothelioma cells acquire a higher proliferative potential after metastasis, without any significant changes in their histology, although metastasis produces no definite trend on the expression of E-cadherin or β-catenin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Murakami Memorial Hospital, Asahi University, Gifu, Japan kuririn@murakami.asahi-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kozo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuribayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Toneyama National Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hirano
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Hyogo College of Medicine, Hyogo, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakasho
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Hyogo College of Medicine, Hyogo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Hyogo College of Medicine, Hyogo, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamanegi
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine, Hyogo, Japan Department of Thoracic Oncology, Hyogo College of Medicine, Hyogo, Japan.
authors.forename: Chiharu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tabata
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Hyogo College of Medicine, Hyogo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukuoka
authors.affiliation: Division of Blood Transfusion, Hyogo College of Medicine, Hyogo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujimori
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine, Hyogo, Japan Department of Thoracic Oncology, Hyogo College of Medicine, Hyogo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000556:secondary*; D008297:Male; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000556:secondary*; D000086002:Mesothelioma, Malignant; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011379:Prognosis; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015820:Cadherins; D051176:beta Catenin
keywords: E-cadherin; Ki-67; Malignant mesothelioma; metastasis; β-catenin