title: Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Non Small-cell Lung Cancer.
abstract: Lung cancer is the first cause of cancer related deaths in both males and females. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a reversible process by which epithelial cells transform to mesenchymal stem cells by losing their cell polarity and cell-to-cell adhesion, gaining migratory and invasive properties. High levels of E-cadherin are expressed in epithelial cells, whereas mesenchymal cells express high levels of N-cadherin, fibronectin and vimentin. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between E-cadherin and vimentin expression and their clinical significance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  
  
  
  The immunohistochemical expression of E-cadherin, vimentin and Ki-67 was performed on tissue microarrays from NSCLC specimens obtained from 112 newly- diagnosed cases and were studied using classical pathological evaluation. Associations between E-cadherin, vimentin and Ki-67 expression, clinicopathological variables and survival were analyzed. In all cases, a value of p≤0.05 was considered significant.
  
  
  
  Low E-cadherin expression was significantly correlated with tumor necrosis (p=0.019). Moreover, there was a trend for correlation between high E-cadherin expression and better overall survival (hazard ratio=1.02, and 95% confidence interval=0.45-1.87, p=0.091). There was also a significant negative correlation between vimentin expression and overall survival (hazard ratio=1.13, and 95% confidence interval=0.78-1.65, p=0.026). Additionally, there was a significant negative correlation between vimentin expression and grade I tumors (p=0.031). Finally, a positive correlation trend between vimentin expression and Ki-67 was found (p=0.073).
  
  
  
  High E-cadherin and low vimentin expression correlate with better prognosis and overall survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Veterans Hospital (NIMTS), Athens, Greece tsoukn@yahoo.gr.
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tsoukalas
authors.affiliation: 251 Air Force Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aravantinou-Fatorou
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy-Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tolia
authors.affiliation: First Department of Pathology, Medical School, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Constantinos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giaginis
authors.affiliation: 401 General Military Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Michail
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galanopoulos
authors.affiliation: 401 General Military Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kiakou
authors.affiliation: 401 General Military Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Kostakis
authors.affiliation: First Department of Pathology, Medical School, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Eugene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dana
authors.affiliation: First Department of Pathology, Medical School, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vamvakaris
authors.affiliation: First Department of Pathology, Medical School, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Korogiannos
authors.affiliation: 401 General Military Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Evangelos
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tsiambas
authors.affiliation: 401 General Military Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Salemis
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy-Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kyrgias
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Veterans Hospital (NIMTS), Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karameris
authors.affiliation: First Department of Pathology, Medical School, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Stamatios
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Theocharis
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015703:Antigens, CD; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism; D018287:Carcinoma, Large Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; D005260:Female; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis; D014746:Vimentin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C513384:CDH1 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins; C067625:FN1 protein, human; D005353:Fibronectins; D014746:Vimentin
keywords: E-Cadherin; biomarker; epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT); non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC); prognosis; vimentin