The Expression And Significance Of E-cad And EpCAM In Endometrial Carcinoma

Objective To study the expressioon of E-cadherins(E-cad) and epithelial cell adhesionmolecule(EpCAM) in normal proliferative phase endometrium, simple hyperplasiaendometrium, complex hyperplasia or by atypical hyperplasia endometrium andendometrial carcinoma and to explore the significance of E-cad and EpCAM in theinitiation, progression and prognosis of endometrial carcinoma.Methods The expressions of E-cad and EpCAM in30specimens of normal proliferativephase endometrium,30specimens of simple hyperplasia endometrium,30specimens ofcomplex hyperplasia or by atypical hyperplasia endometrium and40specimens ofendometrial carcinoma were detected by immunohistochemial PV method, which wereanalysed with clinical feature.Results The positive expression rate of the E-cad gradually declined in the process fromnormal proliferative phase endometrium, simple hyperplasia endometrium, complexhyperplasia or by atypical hyperplasia endometrium to endometrial carcinoma. Thepositive expression rate of the E-cad was the strongest in normal proliferative phaseendometrium, which was93.3%(28/30), whereas the positive expression rate of theE-cad was the weakest in endometrial carcinoma, which was42.5%(17/40). Thepositive expression rate of the E-cad in simple hyperplasia endometrium and complexhyperplasia or by atypical hyperplasia endometrium was between them, which were73.3%(22/30) and53.3%(16/30). To compare the positive expression rate of the E-cadin complex hyperplasia or by atypical hyperplasia endometrium with normalproliferative phase endometrium, P <0.01. To compare the positive expression rate ofthe E-cad in endometrial carcinoma with normal proliferative phase endometrium and simple hyperplasia endometrium, P <0.01. The expression of the E-cad in endometrialcarcinoma was related with the depth of myometrial invasion, lymph node metastasisand FIGO clinical stage. The positive expression rate of the E-cad in the patients withthe depth of myometrial invasion <1/2was higher than in the patients with the depth ofmyometrial invasion≥1/2(P <0.05). The positive expression rate of the E-cad in thepatients without lymph node metastasis was higher than in the patients with lymph nodemetastasis (P <0.05). The positive expression rate of the E-cad in the patients of clinicalⅠ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ were64.7%,30.8%and20.0%, which had statistically significant differencesbetween the groups (P <0.05). The positive expression rate of the EpCAM graduallyincreased in the process from normal proliferative phase endometrium, simplehyperplasia endometrium, complex hyperplasia or by atypical hyperplasia endometriumto endometrial carcinoma. The positive expression rate of the EpCAM was thestrongest in endometrial carcinoma, which was77.5%（31/40）, whereas the positiveexpression rate of the EpCAM was the weakest in normal proliferative phaseendometrium, which was33.3%（10/30）. The positive expression rate of the EpCAM insimple hyperplasia endometrium and complex hyperplasia or by atypical hyperplasiaendometrium was between them, which were46.7%（14/30）和66.7%（20/30）. Tocompare the positive expression rate of the EpCAM in complex hyperplasia or byatypical hyperplasia endometrium with normal proliferative phase endometrium, P<0.01. To compare the positive expression rate of the EpCAM in endometrial carcinomawith normal proliferative phase endometrium and simple hyperplasia endometrium, P<0.01. The expression of the EpCAM in endometrial carcinoma was related with thedepth of myometrial invasion, lymph node metastasis and FIGO clinical stage. Thepositive expression rate of the EpCAM in the patients with the depth of myometrialinvasion≥1/2was higher than in the patients with the depth of myometrial invasion<1/2(P <0.05). The positive expression rate of the EpCAM in the patients with lymphnode metastasis was higher than in the patients without lymph node metastasis (P <0.05). The positive expression rate of the EpCAM increased with the increase of FIGOclinical stage (P <0.05).The expressioon of E-cad and EpCAM in endometrialcarcinoma was negatively correlated (P <0.05).Conclusion The positive expression rate of the E-cad declined from normalproliferative phase endometrium to endometrial carcinoma, as well as the depth ofmyometrial invasion increased, with lymph node metastasis and FIGO clinical stageincreased. The positive expression rate of the EpCAM increased from normalproliferative phase endometrium to endometrial carcinoma, as well as the depth ofmyometrial invasion increased, with lymph node metastasis and FIGO clinical stageincreased. The low expressioon of E-cad and high expressioon of EpCAM inendometrial carcinoma and the negative correlation between them are conneted with thedevelopment, malignant degree and prognosis in endometrial carcinoma, whichsuggests the possibility of the Wnt signaling pathway-based molecular targeted therapy.