Background
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is characterised by the loss of cell-to-cell adhesion and gaining of mesenchymal phenotypes. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition is proposed to occur in various developmental processes and cancer progression. 'Cadherin switch', a process in which cells shift to express different isoforms of the cadherin transmembrane protein and usually refers to a switch from the expression of E-cadherin to N-cadherin, is one aspect of EMT and can have a profound effect on tumour invasion/metastasis. The
Conclusions
These results may provide novel information for selection of patients with EHCC who require adjuvant therapy and strict surveillance.
Methods
We investigated the association between altered expression of 12 EMT-related proteins and clinical outcomes in patients with EHCC (n=117) using immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays.
Results
Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that, in addition to N classification (P=0.0420), the expression of E-cadherin (P=0.0208), N-cadherin (P=0.0038) and S100A4 (P=0.0157) was each an independent and a significant prognostic factor. We also demonstrated that cadherin switch was independently associated with poor prognosis (P=0.0143) in patients with EHCC. Conclusions: These results may provide novel information for selection of patients with EHCC who require adjuvant therapy and strict surveillance.