The Study Of The Li-cadherin Expression In The Colorectal Carcinoma And Adenoma

OBJECTIVE: Comparing the expression of Li-cadherin in the colorectal carcinoma, tubular adenoma and villous adenoma, we tried to explore the role of Li-cadherin in the process of the canceration, so to find out the mechanism of the pathogenisis of the colorectal carcinoma, and relationship between the Li-cadherin level and biology behavior in the colorectal carcinoma.METHOD: We collected 60 samples of colorectal carcinoma , in which there were 20 samples of poorly differentiated, 19 samples of moderately differentiated and 21 samples of well-differentiated. There were 25 samples with lymph node metastasis. We collected 60 samples of tubular adenoma, and 60 samples of villous adenoma. We examined Li-cadherin expression in primary colorectal carcinomas, tubular adenoma and villous adenoma using a monoclonal antibody against LI-cadherin. By comparing the standard of the expression of Li-cadherin in each group, we try to find the the tendency of its expression, as the changing of differentiation of the colorectal carcinoma, the grade of atypical hyperplasia of the polyp etc. We also investigated the correlation between Li-cadherin expression and other clinicopathologic parameters. RESULTS: Among the .60 carcinoma samples, Li-cadherin expression was preserved in 36 (60.0%) and reduced in 24 (40.0%). Among 20 smples of poorly differentiated colorectal carcinoma, there were 7, whose ability of expressing Li-cadherin wer prsered. Among 19 moderately differentiated and 21 well-differentiated colorectal carcinoma, the number of the samples of preserving the ability of expressing the Li-cadherin were 12 and 17. In 25 samples of carcinoma, with the lymph node metastasis, the number preserving the ability of expressing the Li-cadherin were 10. Conversely, among the another samples without lymph node metastasis, the number were 26. Reduced Li-cadherin expression was significantly associated with differentiated grade(p=0. 003); lymph node metastasis (p=0.008) ; and an advanced pTNM stage (p=0. 016). There were respectively 60 samples of tubular adenoma and villous adenoma, the number of samples of preserving the ability of expressing Li-cadherin were respectively 55 and 47. In each group of the adenoma, as the developing of the grade of atypical hyperplasia, the expression standard of the Li-cadherin became more and more weak(p<0. 05).CONCLUSION:In the line of the normal colon mucosa tissue, tubular adenoma, villous adenoma and colorectal carcinoma, the expression standard of Li-cadherin has the tendency of becoming lower and lower, indicating the meaningfull role of the Li-cadherin in the process of the colon canceration. It need more work to explore its mechanism. The result suggest the low expression standard of Li-cadherin may indicate the biological aggressiveness of this malignancy.