Publication: N-cadherin expression is involved in malignant behavior of head and neck cancer in relation to epithelial-mesenchymal transition
Authors
Nguyen, Phuong Thao ; Kudo, Yasusei ; Yoshida, Maki ; Kamata, Nobuyuki ; Ogawa, Ikuko ; Takata, Takashi
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Publisher
Murcia: F. Hernández
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DOI
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info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Description
Abstract
The loss of E-cadherin and the gain of Ncadherin
expression are known as “cadherin switching”.
Cadherin switching is a major hallmark of epithelialmesenchymal
transition (EMT). EMT is a crucial
process in cancer progression, providing cancer cells
with the ability to escape from the primary focus, to
invade stromal tissues and to migrate to distant regions.
Although down-regulation of E-cadherin is well known
in various cancers, there are a few studies on N-cadherin
expression in cancer. Here, therefore, we investigated
whether N-cadherin expression was associated with the
progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
(HNSCC). First, we examined the expression of Ncadherin
by immunohistochemistry and its correlation
with clinico-pathological findings. High expression of
N-cadherin was observed in 52 of 80 HNSCC cases and
was significantly correlated with malignant behaviors.
Next, we examined the correlation between N-cadherin
and E-cadherin. Cadherin switching (high expression of
N-cadherin and low expression of E-cadherin) was
found in 30 of 80 HNSCC cases and was well correlated
with histological differentiation, pattern of invasion and
lymph node metastasis in HNSCC cases. Moreover, we
examined the expression of N-cadherin and E-cadherin by RT-PCR in 16 HNSCC cell lines to confirm the
immunohistochemical findings. N-cadherin expression
was observed in 7 of 16 HNSCC cells, and cadherin
switching was observed in 2 HNSCC cells. Interestingly,
HNSCC cells with cadherin switching have EMT
features. In conclusion, we suggest that i) N-cadherin
may play an important role in malignant behaviors of
HNSCC, and ii) cadherin switching might be considered
as a discrete critical event in EMT and metastatic
potential of HNSCC.
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