Clinico-pathological correlation of E-cadherin expression at the invasive tumor front of Indian oral squamous cell carcinomas: An immunohistochemical study

• Published in: Journal of oral and maxillofacial pathology : JOMFP Vol. 18; no. 2; pp. 217 - 222
• Main Authors: Mehendiratta, Monica, Solomon, Monica Charlotte, Boaz, Karen, Guddattu, Vasudeva, Mohindra, Aashima
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd 01.05.2014; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd
• Subjects: Analysis; Cancer; Cell adhesion & migration; Diagnosis; Gene expression; Genetic aspects; Health aspects; Histopathology; Immunohistochemistry; Metastasis; Mouth cancer; Mutation; Original; Patients; Rodents; Squamous cell carcinoma; Studies; Tumors; India; invasive tumor front; Differentiation; E-cadherin; prognosis; oral cancer
• ISSN: 0973-029X; 1998-393X
• DOI: 10.4103/0973-029X.140753

Recent studies have indicated that although malignant cells at the invasive tumor front, bare morphological resemblance to the cells at central portion of the tumor, their molecular character differs significantly. E-cadherin is a cell-cell adhesion molecule that connects epithelial cells. This study attempts to correlate the E-cadherin expression at the invasive tumor front with tumor differentiation along with its clinico-pathological parameters. Immunohistochemical staining with E-cadherin was carried out on archival cases of primary oral squamous cell carcinomas (n = 30). The E-cadherin expression at the invasive tumor front was analyzed and was linked to clinico-pathological parameters including patient prognosis. The downregulation of E-cadherin expression at the invasive tumor edge when compared with patient's prognosis yielded a significant correlation (P = 0.041) but its correlation with the degree of differentiation determined was not significant (P = 0.27). Also, its association with tumor size and lymph node status was negative. Loss of E-cadherin expression at the invasive tumor front is an important event in the progression of oral squamous cell carcinomas. Tumors with a loss of expression of E-cadherin are those which had a poor prognosis.