Clinical significance of E-cadherin expression in thyroid neoplasms

Background and Objective: E-cadherin, a calcium-dependent transmembrane glycoprotein, is an adhesion molecule. We studied clinical significance of E-cadherin expression in thyroid neoplasms. Methods: We immunohistochemically studied E-cadherin expression in 60 normal tissue specimens of thyroid tissues and in 83 follicular adenomas, 53 papillary carcinomas, 4 follicular carcinomas, 2 medullary carcinomas, and 5 anaplastic carcinomas of the thyroid. Results: In papillary carcinoma, E-cadherin expression was preserved significantly less often than in follicular adenoma or normal thyroid tissue (P < 0.01). preserved E-cadherin expression was seen less often among papillary carcinomas with lymph node metastasis than in those without metastasis (P < 0.05). Conclusions: This loss of E-cadherin expression may be involved in regional lymph node metastasis and in malignant potential of thyroid neoplasms. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.