E-CADHERIN - A MARKER FOR DIFFERENTIATION AND INVASIVENESS IN PROSTATIC-CARCINOMA

Considerable controversy exists concerning the value of histomorpholog ical data in the assessment of the malignant potential of prostatic ca rcinomas. We investigated the expression pattern of E-cadherin in huma n prostate at the translational level. E-cadherin is a specific epithe lial cell-cell adhesion molecule which has previously been found to be expressed in well-differentiated non-invasive carcinoma cell lines bu t is lost in many poorly differentiated invasive cell lines. The E-cad herin expression pattern in the prostate samples was correlated with h istopathological findings in the same specimens. We found strong E-cad herin expression in normal prostate and benign prostatic hyperplasia. A decrease in or loss of E-cadherin was seen in 13 of 14 locally advan ced and in 8 of 9 poorly differentiated prostatic carcinomas. We concl ude that downregulation of E-cadherin expression plays a role in prost ate carcinogenesis and invasiveness.