Influence of E-cadherin dysfunction upon local invasion and metastasis in non-small cell lung cancer

E-Cadherin (ECD), a transmembrane cell adhesion molecule, is associated wit h three kinds of cytoplasmic proteins (alpha-catenin, beta-catenin and plak oglobin), and formation of the cadherin-catenins adhesion complex is indisp ensable for tight cell-to-cell adhesion in adherence junctions. There is a high possibility that dysfunction of ECD reflects increased potential for l ocal invasion and distant metastasis. We investigated the relationship betw een the expression of cadherin-catenin adhesion complex and the clinicopath ological features in 81 cases of non-small cell lung cancer. There were sta tistically significant relationships between the expression of ECD and lymp h node metastasis (P = 0.016) and between the expression of ECD and patholo gical stage (P = 0.006). Reduction of alpha-catenin expression was associat ed with local invasion and pathological stage. Dividing the 81 cases into t wo groups based on ECD function revealed a statistically significant relati onship between ECD function and air clinicopathological factors investigate d (local tumor invasion P = 0.033, lymph node metastasis P<0.001, pathologi cal stage P < 0.001). Evaluation of ECD function using the expression of ca dherin-catenin adhesion complex is useful to evaluate tumor malignancy of n on-small cell lung cancer. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All right s reserved.