OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the genetic association of the FAT gene with schizophrenia in the Korean population, as well as analyzing the association of FAT gene with clinical variables. METHODS: Four variants within the FAT gene were investigated in 189 patients with schizophrenia and 119 healthy controls (rs2306987 A/C, rs2306990 T/C, rs2637777 G/T, and rs2304865 G/C). RESULTS: Significant association at the rs273777 with schizophrenia was observed; however, rs2306987, rs2306990, and rs2304865 were not associated with schizophrenia. Haplotype analyses revealed that the haplotype A/T/T/G was associated with a significantly protective effect. Sliding window analysis (rs2637777 G/T and rs2304865 G/C) revealed the more common T/G haplotype, included in the A/T/T/G protective combination, showed a small protective effect, in particular the effect was due to the rs273777 T variant (minor allele). CONCLUSION: The present finding suggests that FAT polymorphism may play a putative role in the susceptibility to schizophrenia in the Korean population. Further studies using a larger number of subjects should be performed to determine whether the FAT gene polymorphism may be truly involved in the development of schizophrenia.
Cadherins ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Schizophrenia

No abstract available.
Cadherins* ; Carcinogenesis* ; Urinary Bladder*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of E-cadherin in benign, borderline, and malignant ovarian tumors. METHODS: An immunohistochemical technique was applied to formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples of 20 benign cystic ovarian tumors, 14 borderline ovarian tumors and 13 ovarian carcinomas. Expressions of E-cadherin immunostaining in three histological types were compared, and the survival rate in malignant ovarian cancer according to E-cadherin expression was also assessed. RESULTS: E-cadherin was positively or heterogeneously expressed in both benign and borderline ovarian tumors. But it was negatively, heterogeneously, or positively expressed in malignant ovarian tumors. The difference of expression of E-cadherin between borderline and malignant ovarian tumors was statisticaIly significant (p<0.05). In ovarian carcinoma, there was difference between negative and positive group in survival (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that alterations in E-cadherin seem to occur at a later stage of the ovarian carcinogenesis, and may have some prognostic value in malignant ovarian tumor.
Cadherins* ; Carcinogenesis ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Survival Rate

The usefulness of E-cadherin immunostaining as a marker of malignancy in the body fluids was investigated in the present study. Thirty-three histologically proven cases of cell blocks from the pleural, peritoneal, and pericardial fluids were studied by immunocytochemistry for E-cadherin antibody using LSAB method. These cases were cytologically diagnosed as adenocarcinoma (25 cases) and atypical cells (8 cases). Tumor cells showed strong positive membranous staining for E-cadherin antibody in 21 out of 25 cases (84%) of adenocarcinoma. E-cadherin staining was not found in 6 of 8 cases of suspicious maligancy. The sensitivity and specificity were 84% and 75%, respectively. Reactive mesothelial cells and inflammatory cells scattered were all negative. In conclusion, E-cadherin is an useful adjunctive marker to distinguish reactive mesothelial cells from the carcinoma cells in the body fluids.
Adenocarcinoma ; Body Fluids ; Cadherins* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Sensitivity and Specificity

We studied the expressions of E-cadherin, MMP-7 and CD44V in colorectal cancer and their corresponding normal mucosa using RT-PCR. From the 26 patients whom a com parative study of clinical and histopathological data is available, MMP-7 and CD44V were significantly enhanced in cancer and their metastatic tissues, compared with their normal mucosa. E-cadherin did not reveal any difference between cancer and normal mucosa. The relashionship between these genes and colorectal cancer development can not be confirmed by this study, however CD44v and MMP-7 may be associated with metastasis of colorectal cancer.
Cadherins ; Cell Line* ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Humans ; Mucous Membrane ; Neoplasm Metastasis*

PURPOSE: CD10, a membrane-bound zinc-dependent metallopeptidase, is normally expressed in many tissues. Accordingly, the derangement of CD10 expression may be related to development or progression in a variety of tumors. The aim of this study is to examine any association between CD10 expression and clinicopathological parameters in bladder transitional cell carcinomas (TCCs) and the relationship between expression of E-cadherin and CD10. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining was performed for CD10 and E-cadherin in tissues of 94 TCCs and 10 non-neoplastic bladder mucosa. RESULTS: Positive immunoreactivity for CD10 was observed in non-neoplastic urothelium at a proportion of 80% and TCCs were observed at a rate of 23%. A positive rate of CD10 expression was observed in 10% of total cases of a low grade tumor and in 35% of those of a high grade tumor. It was also observed in 15% of pTa tumors, 13% of pT1 tumors, and 48% of pT2 tumors. In addition, CD10 expression showed reciprocal correlation with expression of membranous E-cadherin in tumors. CONCLUSION: CD10 is again expressed at a certain stage during the neoplastic process of TCCs and could play some roles intheir carcinogenesis.
Cadherins ; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell ; Neprilysin ; Urinary Bladder ; Urothelium

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine the expression of E-cadherin, beta-catenin, Cdx2, MMP7 in gastric cancer and to evaluate the clinical significance of these molecules in tumor recurrence within 2 years of pT2 and N1/N2 gastric cancer. METHODS: In 122 patients who underwent radical resection of gastric cancer, we investigated the association between the expression of these molecules and clinicopathologic factors by immunohistochemistry. The included criteria were pT2 and N1 or N2 (6th AJCC TNM). RESULTS: The expression of MMP7 was significantly associated with N stage (N1 vs. N2) (P=0.011). The negative expression of beta-catenin was strongly correlated with tumor recurrence within a 2-year period. However, the expression of these molecules was not related with recurrent sites. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that negative expression of beta-catenin was an independent predictor for tumor recurrence within 2 years (OR 2.366; 95% CI 1.056~5.297; P=0.036). CONCLUSION: Negative expression of beta-catenin may serve as a significant indicator for predicting tumor recurrence within a 2-year period in pT2 and N1/N2 gastric cancer.
beta Catenin ; Cadherins ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Multivariate Analysis ; Recurrence ; Stomach Neoplasms

E-cadherin (ECD) is a Ca++ -dependent adhesion molecule which plays a major role in the maintenance of intercellular adhesion in epithelial tissues. The expression pattern of ECD in 77 surgically resected gastric adenocarcinomas was examined by immunohistochemistry, using a rat monoclonal antibody raised against murine E-cadherin (DECAM-1). ECD was strongly expressed uniformly at cell to cell borders in normal gastric epithelium without exception. But, various staining patterns were observed in the cancer tissues. The frequency of tumors with preserved ECD expression (Pre-type) and reduced ECD expression (Rd-type) was 44% and 56%, respectively. Using Lauren's classification, the high frequency of the Pre-type expression in adenocarcinoma of the intestinal type was significantly higher than that in adenocarcinoma of the diffuse type (p<0.05). But, no significant correlation between the ECD expression and the gross type, invasion depth, growth pattern or metastasis was observed. These results suggest that ECD might play a key role in the morphogenesis of gastric adenocarcinoma.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Animals ; Cadherins* ; Classification ; Epithelium ; Immunohistochemistry ; Morphogenesis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Rats

PURPOSE: E-cadherin and CD44H have been shown to play a role in the progression and the metastasis of tumors. This study evaluated the clinical correlations between expression of E-cadherin and CD44H and various clinicopathologic factors and the value of expressions of E-cadherin and CD44H as prognostic factors in Borrmann type IV gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 122 patients with Borrmann type IV gastric cancer, we performed the immunohistochemical stainings for E-cadherin and CD44H. We analyzed the correlation between the expressions of E-cadherin and CD44H and lymphatic invasion, venous invasion, perineural invasion, histologic type, lymph node metastasis, depth of invasion, stage, and peritoneal dissemination, and survival. RESULTS: There were no correlations between reduced expression of E-cadherin and CD44H and lymphatic invasion, venous invasion, perineural invasion, histologic type, lymph node metastasis, depth of invasion, and stage. However, there was a significant correlation between lymph node metastasis and the lymphatic invasion (P=0.022). There was also a significant correlation between the peritoneal dissemination and CD44H expression (P=0.005). The 5-year survival rate was correlated with CD44H expression (P=0.026), peritoneal dissemination (P<0.01), depth of invasion (P<0.01), lymph node metastasis (P<0.01), stage of tumor (P<0.01), and lymphatic invasion (P<0.01). There was no correlation between expression of E-cadherin and survival rate. CONCLUSION: The expression of CD44H and peritoneal dissemination was correlated. The expression of CD44H was an independent prognostic factor in Borrmann type IV gastric cancer. Further prospective studies with a large number of cases are required.
Cadherins* ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Survival Rate

BACKGROUND: Pemphigus foliaceus(PF) and pemphigus vulgaris(PV) have different target antigens which belong to the desmoglein(DG) subfamily of the desmosomal cadherins; DG in the case of PF and PV antigen(PVA) in the case of PV. OBJECTIVE: Because DG is also a normal major component of the intercellular adhesive core, we investigated the immunohistochemical distribution of DG in PF to compare and contrast the findings with those of PV. METHODS: Immunohistochemical analysis using streptavidin-biotin complex method with anti-DG monoclonal antibody was done in six cases of PF and six cases of PV, as well as two samples of normal skin as control. RESULTS: Both disorders showed abnormal intense diffuse cytoplasmic staining patterns in the lesional skin. Contrary to PF, showing complete loss of normal, rim-like, membranous staining, two of six cases of PV showed the relatively well preserved normal staining pat-terns in the upper epidermis. CONCLUSION: The differences in the expression of DG in the lesional skins between PF and PV suggest that PVA is distinct from DG, although an overlapping of antigens between PF and PV could exist.
Adhesives ; Cytoplasm ; Desmogleins* ; Desmosomal Cadherins ; Epidermis ; Methods ; Pemphigus* ; Skin