Clinical Significance of E-cadherin Expression in the Breast Carcinoma Tissue.
- Author:
Ryung Ah LEE
1
;
Byung In MOON
;
Ho Seong HAN
;
Ok Young KIM
;
Sun Hee SUNG
;
Woon Sup HAN
Author Information
1. Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Mok-Dong Hospital, Ewha Womans University.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
E-Cadherin;
Breast carcinoma
- MeSH:
Adhesiveness;
Adult;
Breast Neoplasms*;
Breast*;
Cadherins*;
Cell Adhesion Molecules;
Depression;
Female;
Glycoproteins;
Humans;
Lymph Nodes;
Mitosis;
Neoplasm Metastasis;
Paraffin;
Survival Rate
- From:Journal of the Korean Surgical Society
1999;56(3):334-340
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: E-cadherin, one of the best known cell adhesion molecules plays an important role in embryonic cell development and architectural maintenance of adult tissues. This molecule is a calcium- dependent glycoprotein and is expressed in most normal epithelial tissues. Selective loss of E-cadherin has been observed in many carcinomas of various origins, and this phenomenon is thought to be an induction point for depression of cell adhesiveness and for metastasis. This study was conducted to evaluate the significance of E-cadherin expression as a prognostic factor in breast cancer and to examine the relationship between E-cadherin expression and clinicopathologic factors. METHODS: Surgical specimens were obtained from 73 patients with breast carcinoma from September 1993 to August 1996 in the Department of Surgery, Mok-Dong Hospital, Ewha Womans University. The immunohistochemical staining was performed by using the paraffin embedded tissues. These results were compared with previously known important clinicopathologic characteristics such as age, tumor location, chief complaint, mass size, tumor stage, lymph node invasion, mitosis, nuclear and histologic grades. RESULTS: The expression status of E-cadherin was normal in 41 cases (56%), reduced in 23 cases (32%), lost in 9 cases (12%). When compared with clinicopathologic variables, loss of E-cadherin expression was found in high nuclear and histologic grade, high stage, and severe lymph node invasion cases. However, there was no significant difference in survival rate according to E-cadherin expression. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that E-cadherin expression may be related with the histologic and nuclear grades, the stage and lymph node invasiveness, so it can be used as predictive factor for metastasis.
