Prognostic significance of paired epithelial cell adhesion molecule and E-cadherin in ovarian serous carcinoma

Hum Pathol. 2009 May;40(5):693-8. doi: 10.1016/j.humpath.2008.10.013. Epub 2009 Jan 20.

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the prognostic significance of the expression of paired epithelial cell adhesion molecule and E-cadherin in ovarian serous carcinoma. The expression of epithelial cell adhesion molecule and E-cadherin was examined immunohistochemically on a tissue microarray of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue specimens from 72 consecutive patients. The overexpression of epithelial cell adhesion molecule was correlated with poor survival (P = .036). In contrast, the reduced expression of E-cadherin was correlated with poor survival (P = .034). When patients were subclassified into 4 groups according to positivity and negativity of epithelial cell adhesion molecule and E-cadherin expression, the epithelial cell adhesion molecule-positive E-cadherin-negative group showed the worst survival rate (P = .002, compared with the epithelial cell adhesion molecule-negative E-cadherin-positive group). These data suggest that the overexpression of epithelial cell adhesion molecule and reduced expression of E-cadherin in combination is more significant than a single marker for predicting poor survival.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antigens, Neoplasm / biosynthesis*
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / analysis*
  • Cadherins / biosynthesis*
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules / biosynthesis*
  • Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / metabolism*
  • Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / mortality
  • Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / pathology
  • Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / mortality
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / pathology
  • Prognosis
  • Tissue Array Analysis

Substances

  • Antigens, Neoplasm
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Cadherins
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules
  • EPCAM protein, human
  • Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule