title: Loss of N-cadherin is associated with loss of E-cadherin expression and poor outcomes of liver resection in hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Our previous study suggested that N-cadherin was downregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our aim in this study was to investigate the correlation between N- and E-cadherin expression in HCC and its clinical significance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-six patients with HCC undergoing liver resection were retrospectively studied. N- and E-cadherin expression in HCC and adjacent liver tissue were investigated using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. The correlation between the expression status of both cadherins and surgical outcomes was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 23 patients negative for E-cadherin expression, 19 of them (82.6%) were also negative for N-cadherin expression. In 30 patients with heterogeneous expression of E-cadherin, 20 of them (66.7%) also had heterogeneous expression of N-cadherin. In 33 patients with uniformly positive expression of E-cadherin, 19 of them (57.6%) also had uniformly positive expression of N-cadherin. Therefore, there was a positive correlation between expression patterns of N- and E-cadherins. Concurrent loss of both N- and E-cadherin expressions was significantly associated with absence of the tumor capsule, vascular invasion, and poor differentiation. The 1- and 3-y disease-free survival rates were 27% and 9%, respectively, and the 1- and 3-y overall survival rates were 64.3% and 14.3%, respectively, in patients with concurrent loss of both cadherins, which were significantly worse than those with concurrent uniformly positive expression or heterogeneous expression of both cadherins.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Loss of N-cadherin was positively correlated with loss of E-cadherin in HCC. Concurrent loss of both N- and E-cadherin expressions was associated with poor surgical outcomes of HCC patients undergoing liver resection.
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratory and Hepatic Surgery Center, Department of Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Wuhan Central Hospital, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Yang-an
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratory and Hepatic Surgery Center, Department of Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Bin-yong
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratory and Hepatic Surgery Center, Department of Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Puai Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: You
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Wuhan Central Hospital, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratory and Hepatic Surgery Center, Department of Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratory and Hepatic Surgery Center, Department of Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China. Electronic address: zyhuang@medmail.com.cn.
authors.forename: Zhi-yong
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000032:analysis*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000737:chemistry / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; C050361:CDH2 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins
keywords: E-cadherin; Expression; Hepatocellular carcinoma; N-cadherin; Survival