Brief Reports
Copyright ©2005 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. May 28, 2005; 11(20): 3139-3143
Published online May 28, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i20.3139
Expression of E-cadherin in gastric carcinoma and its correlation with lymph node micrometastasis
Ze-Yu Wu, Wen-Hua Zhan, Jing-Hua Li, Yu-Long He, Jian-Ping Wang, Ping Lan, Jun-Sheng Peng, Shi-Rong Cai
Ze-Yu Wu, Wen-Hua Zhan, Yu-Long He, Jian-Ping Wang, Ping Lan, Jun-Sheng Peng, Shi-Rong Cai, Department of Gastrointestinal and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong Province, China
Jing-Hua Li, Department of Parasitology, Zhong Shan Medical College, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510089, Guangdong Province, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30271276
Correspondence to: Dr. Wen-Hua Zhan, Department of Gastrointestinal and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong Province, China. wenhuazh@21cn.com
Telephone: +86-20-87755766-8211 Fax: +86-20-87335945
Received: July 28, 2004
Revised: July 29, 2004
Accepted: September 30, 2004
Published online: May 28, 2005
Abstract

AIM: To examine the expression of E-cadherin in the primary tumor and to evaluate its relationship with lymph node micrometastasis (LNM).

METHODS: The authors studied 850 lymph nodes resected from 30 patients with gastric carcinoma who underwent gastrectomy with lymphadenectomy using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay in addition to H&E staining. Cytokeratin-20 (CK-20) gene marker was used in this assay. The level of E-cadherin expression in the primary tumor was examined by immunochemical technique (EliVisionTM plus).

RESULTS: LNM was detected in 77 (12.5%) lymph nodes of 14 patients (46.7%) with gastric carcinoma. The incidence of LNM was significantly higher in the diffuse type (12 of 19 cases, 63.2%) than in the intestinal type of gastric carcinoma (2 of 11 cases, 18.2%, P = 0.026). The incidence of LNM also increased in accordance with the depth of tumor invasion. The loss of expression of E-cadherin in primary tumors was found in 14 (46.7) of 30 tumors. The absence of E-cadherin expression was significantly associated with the Lauren classification (P = 0.026), lymph node metastasis (P = 0.011), the grade of differentiation (P = 0.004) and the lymphatic invasion (P = 0.001). Expression of E-cadherin was negative in 10 (71.4%) of the 14 patients with LNM, and in 4 (25%) of the 16 patients without LNM (P = 0.026).

CONCLUSION: The current results indicate that the RT-PCR assay is useful for the detection of LNM and can significantly increase the detection rate of lymph node metastasis in patients with gastric carcinoma. The Lauren classification and depth of tumor invasion are significantly associated with lymph node micrometastases. Our findings also indicate that E-cadherin may play an important role in determining the growth type and differentiation of gastric carcinoma. The loss of E-cadherin expression may contribute to LNM.

Keywords: Gastric carcinoma; Lymph node micrometastasis; Cytokeratin-20; E-cadherin; Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction; Immunohistochemistry