Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Expression and potential role of E-cadherin in pancreatic carcinoma

  • Published:
International journal of pancreatology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Conclusion

Our results indicate that loss of E-cadherin might be associated with a more invasive phenotype in pancreatic cancer.

Background

A reduced expression of the calcium-dependent E-cadherin cell-cell adhesion molecule on tumor cells has been described as an important factor for tumor invasion and metastasis.

Methods

Pancreatic tissues (carcinoma, chronic pancreatitis, and normal) as well as 12 pancreatic tumor cell lines were investigated for E-cadherin expression by immunohistochemistry. To correlate the motility of pancreatic tumor cells in vitro with E-cadherin expression, we used a Boyden chamber assay.

Results

In pancreatic carcinoma tissues, diffuse growing tumor cells showed a decrease or loss of E-cadherin expression, whereas in areas of compact tumor growth, only a slight decrease of E-cadherin expression was observed compared to normal pancreas or chronic pancreatitis. No correlation between the E-cadherin expression and the grading of the tumor cells, the tumor stage, or the disease progression was detectable. Of four tumor cell lines that migrated in the Boyden chamber, three were predominantly E-cadherin negative. In contrast, seven of eight cell lines that did not migrate in vitro revealed E-cadherin expression.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Takeichi M. Cadherin cell adhesion receptors as a morphogenetic regulator.Science (Washington) 1991; 251: 1451–1455.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Damsky CH, Richa J, Solter D, Knudsen K, Buck CA. Identification and purification of a cell surface glycoprotein mediating intercellular adhesion in embryonic and adult tissue.Cell 1983; 34: 455–466.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Nagafuchi A, Takeichi M. Cell binding function of E-cadherin is regulated by the cytoplasmatic domain.EMBO 1988; 7: 3679–3684.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Gumbiner B, Simons K. A functional assay for proteins involved in establishing an epithelial occluding barrier: identification of a uvomorulin-like polypeptide.J Cell Biol 1986; 102: 457–468.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Nicolson GL. Cancer metastasis, tumor cell and host organ properties important in metastasis to specific secondary sites.Biochem Biophys Acta 1988; 948: 175–224.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Shiozaki H, Tahara H, Oka H. Expression of immunoreactive E-cadherin adhesion molecules in human cancers.Am J Pathol 1991; 139: 17–23.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Schipper JH, Frixen UH, Behrens J, Unger A, Jahnke K, Birchmeier W. E-cadherin expression in squamous cell carcinomas of head and neck: inverse correlation with tumor dedifferentiation and lymph node metastasis.Cancer Res 1991; 51: 6328–6337.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Mayer B, Johnson JP, Leitl F. E-cadherin, expression in primary and metastatic gastric cancer: Downregulation correlates with cellular dedifferentiation and glandular disintegration.Cancer Res 1993; 53: 1690–1695.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Vleminckx K, Vakaet L, Jr, Mareel M, Fiers W, Van Roy F. Genetic manipulation of E-cadherin expression by epithelial tumor cells reveals an invasion suppressor role.Cell 1991; 66: 107–119.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Frixen UH, Behrens J, Sachs M. E-cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion prevents invasiveness of human carcinoma cells.J Cell Biol 1991; 113: 173–185.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Shimoyama Y, Hirohashi S, Hirano S. Cadherin cell-adhesion molecules in human epithelial tissues and carcinomas.Cancer Res 1989; 49: 2128–2133.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Bülow M, Schärfe T, Klöppel G, Kern HF. Establishment and characterisation of continuous tumor cell lines from human pancreatic carcinoma in vitro.Digestion 1982; 25: 17,18.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Elsässer HP, Lehr U, Agricola B, Kern HF. Structural analysis of a new highly metastatic cell line PaTu-8902 from a primary human pancreatic adenocarcinoma.Virchows Arch B 1993; 64: 201–207.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Elsässer HP, Lehr U, Agricola B, Kern HF. Establishment and characterisation of two cell lines with different grades of differentiation derived from one primary human pancreatic adenocarcinoma.Virchows Arch B 1992; 61: 295–306.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Tan MH, Nowak NJ, Loor R. Characterization of a new primary human pancreatic tumor line.Cancer Invest 1986; 4: 15–23.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Tan MH, Chu TM. Characterization of the tumorigenic and metastatic properties of a human pancreatic tumor cell line (AsPC1) implanted orthotopically into nude mice.Tumor Biol 1986; 6: 89–98.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Lieber M, Mazzetta J, Nelson-Rees W, Kaplan M, Todaro G. Establishment of a continuous tumor-cell line (Panc-1) from a human carcinoma of the exocrine pancreas.Int J Cancer 1975; 15: 741–747.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Cordell JL, Falini B, Erber WN. Immunoenzymatic labeling of monoclonal antibodies using immune complexes of alkaline phosphatase and monoclonal anti-alkaline phosphatase (APAAP Complexes).J Histochem Cytochem 1984; 12: 219–229.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Albini A, Iwamoto Y, Kleinman HK. A rapid in vitro assay for quantitating the invasive potential of tumor cells.Cancer Res 1987; 47: 3239–3245.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Böhm M, Totzeck B, Birchmeier W, Wieland I. Differences of E-cadherin expression levels and pattern in primary and metastatic human lung cancer.Clin Exp Metastasis 1994; 12: 55–62.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Miyata M, Shiozaki H, Iihara K. Relationship between E-cadherin expression and lymph node metastasis in human esophageal cancer.Int J Oncol 1994; 4: 61–65.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Eidelman S, Damsky CH, Wheelock MJ, Damjanov I. Expression of the cell-cell adhesion glycoprotein cell-CAM 120/80 in normal human tissues and tumors.Am J Pathol 1989; 135: 101–110.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Dorudi S, Sheffield JP, Poulsom R, Northover JMA, Hart IR. E-cadherin expression in colorectal cancer-an immuno-cytochemical and in situ hybridisation study.Am J Pathol 1993; 142: 981–986.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Nigam AK, Savage FJ, Boulos PB, Stamp GWH, Liu D, Pignatelli M. Loss of cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion molecules in colorectal cancer.Br J Cancer 1993; 68: 507–514.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Pignatelli M, Ansari TW, Gunter P, Liu D, Hirano S, Takeichi M, Klöppel G, Lemoine NR. Loss of membranous E-cadherin expression in pancreatic cancer: correlation with lymph node metastasis, high grade, and advanced state.J Pathol 1994; 174: 243–248.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Becker KF, Atkinson MJ, Reich U. Exon skipping in the E-cadherin gene transcript in metastatic human gastric carcinomas.Hum Mol Genet 1993; 2: 803–804.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Hirano S, Kimoto N, Shimoyama Y, Hirohashi, S, Takeichi M. Identification of a neural a-catenin as a key regulator of cadherin function and multicellular organisation.Cancer Res 1992; 70: 293–301.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Chen W, Obrink B. Cell-cell contacts mediated by E-cadherin (Uvomorulin) restrict invasive behavior of L-cells.J Cell Biol 1991; 114: 319–327.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Sommers CL, Thompson EW, Torri JA, Kemler, R, Gelmann EP, Byers SW. Cell adhesio molecule uvomorulin expression in human breast cancer cell lines: relationship to morphology and invasive capacities.Cell Growth & Diff 1991; 2: 365–372.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany

    Rolf J. Weinel, Oliver Kisker & Annette Rosendahl

  2. Institute of Pathology, Marburg, Germany

    Kurt Neumann

Authors
  1. Rolf J. Weinel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kurt Neumann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Oliver Kisker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Annette Rosendahl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Weinel, R.J., Neumann, K., Kisker, O. et al. Expression and potential role of E-cadherin in pancreatic carcinoma. Int J Pancreatol 19, 25–30 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02788372

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02788372

Key Words

Search

Navigation