Abstract
Introduction: Carcinoma of stomach is a common malignancy and globally stands at fourth position frequency- wise. E-cadherin, is a major cell adhesion molecule, the loss of which gives rise to invasive and metastatic properties to the cancer cells. Aim of the Study: To study the E-cadherin expression in gastric carcinomas by immuno-histochemistry and to correlate its pattern of staining with tumor differentiation, invasion, histological variants, and lymph node status. Materials and Methods: A two year prospective study was done from September 2011 to August 2013 at Kakatiya Medical College and MGM Hospital, Warangal. The resected specimens of stomach and endoscopic biopsy specimens taken from carcinoma stomach in this study period were considered. Routine histopathology and immunohistochemistry for E-cadherin were done on the sections. Results: 60 cases were studied of which 26 were gastric biopsies and 34 were gastrectomy specimens. The patient age ranged from 41-72 years and the male to female ratio was 1.6:1. There were 70% and 30% cases that showed intestinal type and diffuse type morphology respectively. Preserved E-cadherin was mainly seen in intestinal type tumors 14/42 (33.33%) with grade 3 staining, while majority of diffuse adenocarcinomas 8/18 (44.44%) were negative for E-cadherin staining. Higher stage tumors and poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas showed reduced E-cadherin staining. Cases with positive lymph nodes 22/29(75.86%) had diminished / absent E-cadherin staining. Conclusion: Normal gastric mucosa on IHC shows strong membranous E-cadherin positivity. There is a gradual decrease in intensity and percentage, and the pattern changes towards cytoplasmic staining in gastric carcinomas. Keywords: Gastric carcinoma, E –Cadherin expression, Prognostic markers, Immunohistochemistry.
Highlights
Carcinoma of stomach is a common malignancy and globally stands at fourth position frequency- wise
The cadherins are different type of molecules that lost in these tumor cells was again inserted and was made to mediate cell to cell adhesion and binding between same type function normally
E-cadherin expression by immunohistochemistry showed strong membranous positivity in normal gastric mucosa, whereas, in gastric carcinomas the expression gradually decreased in intensity and percentage, and the location of staining changed to cytoplasmic from membranous staining
Summary
Carcinoma of stomach is a common malignancy and globally stands at fourth position frequency- wise. Aim of the Study: To study the E-cadherin expression in gastric carcinomas by immuno-histochemistry and to correlate its pattern of staining with tumor differentiation, invasion, histological variants, and lymph node status. Preserved E-cadherin was mainly seen in intestinal type tumors 14/42 (33.33%) with grade 3 staining, while majority of diffuse adenocarcinomas 8/18 (44.44%) were negative for E-cadherin staining. Higher stage tumors and poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas showed reduced E-cadherin staining. It is at fourth position incidence-wise and holds second place for deaths due to cancer. Based on Lauren’s system, the cancers of stomach have been divided histologically into intestinal and diffuse type tumors. Helicobacter pylori infection has come out as a high risk factor for gastric carcinomas.[5]
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