Expression Of E-cadherin In Human Colorectal Cancer With Relation To Clinicopathological Features

Purpose: This study was designed to investigate the expression of E-cadherin, a calcium-dependent cell-cell adhesion molecule in colorectal carcinoma. The relation of their expression with the clinicopathological features of this disease was also to be established.Methods: Immunohistochemical analysis for E-cadherin was carried out in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections of neoplastic colorectal tissues and non-neoplastic ones adjacent to the lesion from 80 patients who underwent surgery. Expression of this antigen in normal and malignant epithelium was compared.Results: The expression of E-cadherin shows no difference between tumor and normal tissues. The percentage of expression in epithelial cells of well or moderately differentiated tumors was significantly higher than low differentiated tumors. Loss of normal membranous expression and the presence of cytoplasmic and mixed staining were found frequently in tumor tissues (p=0.004). This loss of membranous expression relate with Duke's staging or tumor grade and metastasis. However, it did not correlate with sex, site of the tumor, tumor size.