EXPRESSION OF THE CELL-CELL ADHESION MOLECULE E-CADHERIN IN TONGUE CARCINOMA CELL-LINES

A reduction in cell adhesiveness and cell invasion are essential steps in tumour progression. In the present study six tongue carcinoma cell lines were compared with regard to their invasive potential in two in vitro invasion assay systems and for their patterns of expression of the cell-cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin. The three cell lines negat ive for E-cadherin expression were invasive in both assays. One cell l ine with strong E-cadherin expression was strongly invasive and one we akly invasive. One cell line with reduced E-cadherin expression was we akly invasive. There was no significant pattern to these findings (chi 2 = 0.375; p = 0.54). This supports previous studies from this group t hat suggest that E-cadherin is only one of the presumably many molecul es involved in tumour progression in squamous cell carcinoma of the to ngue.