Paradoxical expression of E-cadherin in prostatic bone metastases

Objective To determine whether the calcium-dependent cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin is expressed in metastatic deposits of prostate cancer in bone. Patients and methods Ten bone biopsies containing metastatic deposits of un treated prostatic cancer were obtained and immunohistochemically stained fo r E-cadherin with the monoclonal antibody HECD-1, using the streptavidin-bi otin complex technique. Benign prostatic tissue was used as the control. Results Of the 10 specimens, nine showed positive expression of E-cadherin, graded as strong in four. E-cadherin expression was strongest in well-diff erentiated metastases and decreased with increasing tumour grade. In some s pecimens there were mixed patterns of expression. Conclusion E-cadherin is strongly expressed in prostatic bone metastases an d the degree of expression appears to reflect local tumour grade. This sugg ests that loss of E-cadherin expression may not be critically linked to met astatic potential.