title: Immunohistochemical analysis of the expression of E-cadherin and ZEB1 in non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: We performed an immunohistochemical analysis of the expression of zinc-finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1), a master regulator of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and determined its relationship with E-cadherin in 157 non-small cell lung carcinomas (93 adenocarcinomas, 36 squamous cell carcinomas, 18 large cell carcinomas, and 10 pleomorphic carcinomas). Although the expression of E-cadherin was low in the subset of adenocarcinomas (10%) and squamous cell carcinomas (11%), ZEB1 expression was only observed in one case of squamous cell carcinoma and none of the adenocarcinomas. In contrast, the low expression of E-cadherin (50% and 90%, respectively) and the positive expression of ZEB1 (11% and 50%, respectively) were more frequently observed in poorly differentiated carcinomas (large cell carcinomas and pleomorphic carcinomas). Overall, the expression of ZEB1 was inversely correlated with that of E-cadherin. Furthermore, the distribution of ZEB1-positive cancer cells was more restricted than in the area in which the expression of E-cadherin was lost, and the former was detected within the latter. We concluded that the expression of ZEB1 was not necessarily associated with the low expression of E-cadherin in lung adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas. The expression of ZEB1 correlated with an undifferentiated and/or sarcomatoid morphology that may occur in the late stage of EMT.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Pathology Laboratory, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Integrative Pathology, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan.
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Matsubara
authors.forename: Yuka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kishaba
authors.forename: Taichiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshimoto
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakuma
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakatani
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: Shunsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: Yukihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Niki
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism; D000077192:Adenocarcinoma of Lung; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071799:Zinc Finger E-box-Binding Homeobox 1
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015820:Cadherins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C486307:ZEB1 protein, human; D000071799:Zinc Finger E-box-Binding Homeobox 1
keywords: E-cadherin; EMT; ZEB1; lung adenocarcinoma