Constitutive Occurrence of E:N-cadherin Heterodimers in Adherens Junctions of Hepatocytes and Derived Tumors.

Cell-cell junctions are pivotal for embryogenesis and tissue homeostasis but also play a major role in tumorigenesis, tumor invasion, and metastasis. E-cadherin (CDH1) and N-cadherin (CDH2) are two adherens junction's transmembrane glycoproteins with tissue-specific expression patterns in epithelial and neural/mesenchymal cells. Aberrant expression has been implicated in the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in malignant tumors. We could hitherto demonstrate cis-E:N-cadherin heterodimer in endoderm-derived cells. Using immunoprecipitation in cultured cells of the line PLC as well as in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)-lysates, we isolated E-N-cadherin heterodimers in a complex with the plaque proteins α- and ß-catenin, plakoglobin, and vinculin. In confocal laser scanning microscopy, E-cadherin co-localized with N-cadherin at the basolateral membrane of normal hepatocytes, hepatocellular adenoma (HCA), and in most cases of HCC. In addition, we analyzed E- and N-cadherin expression via immunohistochemistry in a large cohort of 868 HCCs from 570 patients, 25 HCA, and respective non-neoplastic liver tissue, and correlated our results with multiple prognostic markers. While E- or N-cadherin were similarly expressed in tumor sites with vascular invasion or HCC metastases, HCC with vascular encapsulated tumor clusters (VETC) displayed slightly reduced E-cadherin, and slightly increased N-cadherin expression. Analyzing The Cancer Genome Atlas patient cohort, we found that reduced mRNA levels of CDH1, but not CDH2 were significantly associated with unfavorable prognosis; however, in multivariate analysis, CDH1 did not correlate with prognosis. In summary, E- and N-cadherin are specific markers for hepatocytes and derived HCA and HCC. E:N-cadherin heterodimers are constitutively expressed in the hepatocytic lineage and only slightly altered in malignant progression, thereby not complying with the concept of EMT.

[Hepatocellular carcinoma in an inflammatory adenoma with ß-catenin mutation in a patient with hepatocellular adenomatosis due to germline mutation in HNF1α]. / Entstehung eines hepatozellulären Karzinoms in einem inflammatorischen Adenom mit ß-Catenin-Mutation bei einem Patienten mit hepatozellulärer Adenomatose und HNF1α-Keimbahnmutation.

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 α (HNF1α) mutations cause maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) type 3 and are associated with hepatocellular adenomatosis. Malignant transformation of HNF1α-mutated hepatocellular adenomas is rare. We report a case of a 28-year-old man with HNF1α-inactivated adenomatosis who developed an inflammatory adenoma with ß catenin mutation with malignant transformation into a well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).