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A comparative study of the clinicopathological significance of E-cadherin and catenins (α, β, γ) expression in the surgical management of oral tongue carcinoma

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Purpose: E-cadherin and catenins are important epithelial adhesion molecules in normal epithelium. Loss of E-cadherin-catenin adhesion is an important step in the progression of many epithelial cancers. E-cadherin and catenins expression in carcinoma of the tongue were evaluated in relation to their clinicopathological features and prognostic values. Method: Immunohistochemical staining was carried out with E-cadherin and (α, β, γ)-catenin monoclonal antibodies for 85 surgical specimens of oral tongue carcinoma, nine matched metastatic lymph nodes, and seven locally recurrent tumours. Results: There was under-expression in 85% of E-cadherin, 94% of α-catenin, 89% of β-catenin, and 83% of γ-catenin in the primary tumours. There was no correlation of E-cadherin/catenin expression with sex, age, cancer stage, and differentiation. Nodal metastasis was found in 68% of patients with weak expression of γ-catenin compared with 9% with strong expression in primary tumours (chi-square, P=0.02). E-cadherin was a significant prognostic factor for survival and recurrence; patients with weak E-cadherin expression had 53% 5-year survival compared with 85% with strong expression (Wilcoxon, P=0.0159). Conclusions: Both E-cadherin and catenins were highly under-expressed in oral tongue carcinoma, metastatic lymph node, and recurrent tumour. γ-catenin had predictive value for nodal metastasis. E-cadherin was, however, a more important prognostic factor for recurrence and survival.

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Received: 14 February 2000 / Accepted: 6 June 2000

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Chow, V., Wing Yuen, A., Lam, K. et al. A comparative study of the clinicopathological significance of E-cadherin and catenins (α, β, γ) expression in the surgical management of oral tongue carcinoma. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 127, 59–63 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004320000177

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004320000177

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