[Expression of E-cadherin and P(120ctn) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and their relationship].

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To study the expression of E-cadherin and P(120ctn) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues, and to investigate their relationship and the relation with clinico-pathological features. METHOD: Two-step immunohistochemical staining was applied to detect the expression of E-cadherin and P(120ctn) in formalin fixation and paraffin-embedded specimens from 56 cases with nasopharyngeal carcinoma and 15 cases with normal nasopharyngeal epithelia. RESULT: The abnormal expression rates of E-cadherin and P(120ctn) in the 56 cases of NPC tissues were 64.29% and 67.86% respectively, mainly with reduction of expression membrane and with the expression of cytoplasm; 6.67% of the 15 comparative normal cases of nasopharyngitis had abnormal expression of E-cadherin and P(120ctn). The differences were statistically significant. The abnormal expression rates of E-cadherin and P(120ctn) in NPC tissues were 71.43% and 85.71% respectively in low differentiated cancer group, which was obviously higher than the rates-42.86% and 36.29%-in high and middle differentiated cancer group. The 80.00% and 85.00% abnormal expression rate in the group with cervical lymph node metastases was higher than that in the group without cervical lymph node metastases (52.78%, 58.33%). The abnormal expression rate of E-cadherin and P(120ctn) (76.92%, 84.62%) in the third and forth phases was higher than that in the first and second phases (46.66%, 53.33%). The differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). There were all together 12 co-expression cases of P120ctn) and E-cadherin and 28 abnormal co-expression cases in the 56 cases of NPC tissues, which was of obvious consistency and correlation, with the relevant indexes rs = 0.5217 and P < 0.01. CONCLUSION: The abnormal expression of E-cadherin and P(120ctn) is closely related to the degree of differentiation, clinical stage and cervical lymph node metastasis, and they join in the process of NPC initiation, progression, invasion and metastasis.