E-CADHERIN EXPRESSION IN NORMAL AND NEOPLASTIC CANINE MAMMARY-GLAND

The epithelial intercellular adhesion molecule, E cadherin, was evalua ted immunohistochemically in a series of normal and malignant neoplast ic canine mammary glands. The normal glands showed strong immunolabell ing at the intercellular borders of all the ductal cells. Tubular and papillary mammary adenocarcinomas had reduced intercellular E cadherin positivity with ''heterogeneous'' or ''cytoplasmic'' distribution. So lid and squamous cell carcinomas were negative. These results suggest that reduced expression and abnormal distribution of E cadherin may be related to the differentiation grade of these neoplasms. (C) 1997 W.B . Saunders Company Limited.