Differential expression of E-cadherin and catenins in ovarian sex cord stromal tumours.
OBJECTIVE
Sex cord stromal tumours (SCSTs) of the ovary encompass several histological tumour subtypes that are defined by characteristic histological features. Some can show morphological overlap with other subtypes of SCSTs, as well as with non-SCSTs. The E-cadherin/catenin complex constitutes the adherens junction, which is well developed in epithelial tissue, but the constituent molecules are also expressed in several non-epithelial tumours. The aim of this study was to determine whether the expression patterns of E-cadherin and catenins in ovarian SCSTs can be of diagnostic utility.


RESULTS
We studied the expression of E-cadherin, α-, β- and γ-catenin in 55 tumours using immunohistochemistry. We found that all tumour subtypes showed nuclear expression of E-cadherin, while only microcystic stromal tumours (MCSTs) displayed a distinct profile, with nuclear localization of all three catenins in almost all cases.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that the E-cadherin expression profile in SCSTs can assist in distinguishing between SCSTs and non-SCSTs in which there is no nuclear expression of E-cadherin. The nuclear localization of catenins may be of potential use in distinguishing MCST from other subtypes of SCST.
Department of Histopathology, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Stavroula
S
Stavrinou
Department of Histopathology, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Ashleigh
A
Clark
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Pathology, and Medical Genetics, Royal Jubilee Hospital, Victoria, BC, Canada.|Department of Pathology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Julie
J
Irving
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.|Royal Alexandra Hospital, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Cheng-Han
CH
Lee
James Homer Wright Pathology Laboratories of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.|Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Esther
E
Oliva
James Homer Wright Pathology Laboratories of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.|Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Robert
R
Young
The Liver Fluke and Cholangiocarcinoma Research Center, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
Ruethairat
R
Sriraksa
Department of Histopathology, Imperial College London, London, UK.|Department of Pathology, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
Nesreen
N
Magdy
Department of Histopathology, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Susan
S
Van Noorden
Department of Pathology, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Belfast, UK.
W Glenn
WG
McCluggage
Department of Histopathology, Imperial College London, London, UK.|Department of Pathology, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
Mona
M
El-Bahrawy
D015703:Antigens, CD; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051180:Desmoplakins / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism; D018312:Sex Cord-Gonadal Stromal Tumors / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051178:alpha Catenin / Q000378:metabolism; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism; D051185:gamma Catenin
D015703:Antigens, CD; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C513384:CDH1 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins; D051180:Desmoplakins; C495292:JUP protein, human; D051178:alpha Catenin; D051176:beta Catenin; D051185:gamma Catenin
E-cadherin; catenin; ovary; sex cord; stromal; tumour