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E-Cadherin Expression in Squamous Cell Carcinomas of Head and Neck: Inverse Correlation with Tumor Dedifferentiation and Lymph Node Metastasis

Institut für Zellbiologie (Tumorforschung) [J. H. S., U. H. F., J. B., W. B.], and Department of Otorhinolaryngology [J. H. S., A. U., K. J.], Medical School, University of Essen, 4300 Essen 1, Germany

Tissue sections of 32 squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of the head and neck were investigated for the expression of the epithelium-specific cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin. We found that E-cadherin expression is inversely correlated both with the loss of differentiation of the tumor and with lymph node metastasis. The well-differentiated SCCs expressed E-cadherin, often as strongly as the normal stratified epithelium (12 cases were tested); the moderately differentiated SCCs expressed intermediate amounts of E-cadherin or were heterogeneous (15 cases were analyzed); whereas the poorly differentiated SCCs were all E-cadherin-negative (five cases were investigated). Furthermore, seven of eight infiltrated lymph nodes of SCCs were E-cadherin-negative. These data indicate that the loss of the cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin in fact plays an important role in the progression of human squamous cell carcinomas, i.e., that down-regulation of expression is associated with dedifferentiation and metastasis of the tumor cells in vivo.

¹ To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Institut für Zellbiologie, University of Essen, Virchowstrasse 173, D-4300 Essen 1, Germany.

Received 7/ 3/91. Accepted 9/23/91.

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