Expression of E-cadherin and N-cadherin in surface epithelial-stromal tumors of the ovary distinguishes mucinous from serous and endometrioid tumors

doi:10.1016/S0046-8177(97)90184-2

Human Pathology

Volume 28, Issue 6, June 1997, Pages 734-739

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0046-8177(97)90184-2 Get rights and content

Abstract

This study examines the expression of E-cadherin and N-cadherin in the most common epithelial tumors of the ovary. The homotypic interactions of distinctive members of the cadherin family of cell-cell adhesion molecules segregate cells into tissues during embryonic development, and their expression in tumors can be used to trace the histogenesis of tumor cells. Because the surface epithelium of the ovary is a modified mesothelium, we speculated that the expression of E (epithelial)-cadherin and N (neural, mesodermal) -cadherin may provide clues about the controversial origin of common epithelial ovarian tumors. Immunohistochemistry was performed in paraffin sections using well-characterized monoclonal antibodies to E- and N-cadherin and heat-induced antigen-retrieval methods. We found that serous and endometrioid tumors express both E- and N-cadherin. In contrast, mucinous tumors strongly express E-cadherin, but no N-cadherin. The presence of N-cadherin in serous and endometrioid tumors traces their origin to the mesoderm-derived ovarian surface epithelium. The absence of N-cadherin in mucinous tumors clearly distinguishes them from the former, suggesting histogenesis from a cell lineage other than the ovarian surface epithelium or aberrant differentiation mechanisms associated with neoplastic transformation.

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^☆: Supported in part by NIH 1R41 CA 73093 to (A.P.S.).

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Original contributionExpression of E-cadherin and N-cadherin in surface epithelial-stromal tumors of the ovary distinguishes mucinous from serous and endometrioid tumors☆

Abstract

Cell

Dev Biol

Exp Cell Res

Cell

Trends Cell Biol

Hum Pathol

Am J Obstet Gynecol

Pathology

Gynecol Oncol

A functional assay for proteins involved in establishing an epithelial occluding barrier: Identification of a uvomorulin-like peptide

J Cell Biol

Expression of N-cadherin adhesion molecules associated with early morphogenetic events in chick development

Nature

Differential expression of N- and R-cadherin in functional neuronal systems and other structures of the developing chicken brain

J Comp Neurol

N-cadherin involvement in cardiac myocyte interaction and myofibrillogenesis

Dev Biol

Expression and functional involvement of N-cadherin in embryonic limb chondrogenesis

Development

Molecular heterogeneity of adherens junctions

J Cell Biol

Cell sorting-out is modulated by both the specificity and the amount of different cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) expressed on cell surfaces

Dev Biol

The cadherins: Cell-cell adhesion molecules controlling animal morphogenesis

Development

Cadherin cell adhesion receptors as a morphogenetic regulator

Science

Cadherinmediated cell-cell adhesion is perturbed by v-src tyrosine phosphorylation in metastatic fibroblasts

J Cell Biol

The role of the cell-cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin in large bowel tumour cell invasion and metastasis

Br J Cancer

Immunohistochemical evaluation of E-cadherin adhesion molecule expression in human gastric cancer

Virchows Arch [A]

Correlation of E-cadherin expression with differentiation grade and histological type in breast carcinoma

Am J Pathol

E-cadherin: A differentiation marker in thyroid malignancies

Cancer Res

E-cadherin expression in basal cell carcinoma

Br J Cancer

Expression of E-cadherin in human epidermal non-melanoma cutaneous tumours

Br J Dermatol

Original contribution
Expression of E-cadherin and N-cadherin in surface epithelial-stromal tumors of the ovary distinguishes mucinous from serous and endometrioid tumors☆