COORDINATED CHANGES IN EXPRESSION OF CELL-ADHESION MOLECULES IN PROSTATE-CANCER

The expressions of E-cadherin, the integrin subunits beta(1), beta(2), beta(3), CD44 and alpha-catenin were studied in parallel by immunohis tochemistry in a series of 40 prostate biopsies comprising one normal, 11 benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and 28 prostatic adenocarcinom as. As reported by others, there was a consistent loss of E-cadherin e xpression with increasing tumour grade and de-differentiation. However , a significant proportion of losses occurred at earlier grades than p reviously reported. The parallel nature of this study showed, for the first time in human prostate carcinoma, a reciprocal expression patter n of E-cadherin and beta(1) integrin in the higher grades of prostate cancer. A reciprocal expression pattern was also found for E-cadherin and CD44 between moderately and poorly differentiated tumours. alpha-C atenin expression was downregulated only in those cells which had prev iously lost E-cadherin expression, and beta(2) and beta(3) integrin we re rarely expressed in prostate tumours. A loss of expression of the l uminal epithelial specific keratins CK8 and CK18 was also observed in advanced stage, poorly differentiated carcinomas. (C) 1997 Elsevier Sc ience Ltd.