Abstract

PURPOSE
E-cadherin, a cell adhesive molecule that plays a diverse role in cell-cell and cell-matrix interaction, is essential for maintaining epithelial intercellular adhesion and acts particularly as a suppressor of invasive ability of cancer. To detennine the potential pro- gnostic values of membranous E-cadherin, we evaluated the correlation between the clin- ical outcome and its expression in patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Membranous E-cadherin immunoreactivity was evaluated in 75 cases of transitional bladder cancer and 15 controls (5 cases of cystitis and 10 normal controls). The expression of membranous E-cadherin were compared with histological grade, T category of TNM stage, and survival.
RESULTS
Abnonnal immunohistochemical expression of membranous E-cadherin was observed in 53 (70.7%) patients with bladder cancer and undetected in controis. Abnormal immunohistochemical expression of membranous E-cadherin was significantly correlated with grade (p<0.01) and T category of TNM stage (p<0.01) of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. Progression to invasive cancer occurred in 6 patients with 45 superficial bladder cancer and 5 of them showed abnormal expression of E-cadherin, which had statistical significance (p<0.05) but not with recurrence. There was statistically significant correlation between the abnormal expression of E-cadherin and poor prognosis (p < 0.01).
CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that abnormal expression of membranous E-cadherin is a useful prognostic marker in patients with transitional bladder cancer.

• Keywords: E-cadherin;Bladder cancer