E-cadherin expression as a differentiation marker in gastric cancer

BACKGROUND/AIMS: E-cadherin is a cell-cell adhesion molecule involved in tu mor progression and metastasis. We evaluated the E-cadherin expression patt ern in gastric cancer and investigated its relationship to histopathologica l features. METHODOLOGY: The expression of E-cadherin was evaluated in 83 formalin-fixe d, paraffin-embedded specimens of gastric cancer by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: In benign gastric mucosa, E-cadherin was expressed uniformly at th e cell membrane. Abnormal E-cadherin expression with loss of membranous loc alization was found in 55 (56%) cancer specimens. Aberrant E-cadherin expre ssion was found more often in diffuse (96%) and mixed type tumors (91%) tha n in intestinal type tumors (47%) (p = 0.0001). A significantly higher prop ortion of signet-ring (84%) and undifferentiated tumors (87%) showed abnorm al E-cadherin expression compared with adenocarcinomas with glandular morph ology (57%) (p = 0.01). There was a significant correlation between abnorma l E-cadherin expression and degree of differentiation (p = 0.0001), local t umor extent (p = 0.002), and the presence of lymph node metastases (p = 0.0 4). CONCLUSIONS: Loss of normal E-cadherin expression may serve as a differenti ation marker in gastric (sic).