[Quantitative analysis of E-cadherin expression and clinicopathologic evaluation in gastric cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship of E-cadherin (E-CD) expression to cellular DNA content and biological behavior of gastric cancer. METHODS: E-CD expression and cellular DNA content were quantitatively measured by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence methods in 80 cases of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded gastric cancer. Systematic pathological examinations and follow up were performed for all cases. RESULTS: E-CD expression was significantly reduced in all cases of gastric cancer, fluorescence Index (FI) of E-CD expression was 0.67 +/- 0.11 in gastric cancer, 1.0 +/- 0.07 in normal gastric mucosa (P < 0.001). The reduction of E-CD expression was also found in 2 cases of early gastric cancer. Tumors with a decrease in E-CD expression occurred significantly more frequently in undifferentiated, diffuse growth pattern Borrmann 4 type, positive lymph node (LN) metastasis and infiltrated serosa type gastric cancer, of which survival time was within 5 years (P < 0.001). E-CD expression was also reduced in gastric cancer with the number of LN metastasis above 5, metastasis to more than group 2. E-CD expression was lower in uneuploid cancer than that in diploid cancer (P < 0.01). The value of DI and PI with negative E-CD expression was significantly higher than that of positive E-CD expression (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Down-regulation of E-CD expression correlates with bad biological behavior and poor prognosis of gastric cancer. The reduction of E-CD expression may take place during early time of gastric cancer. Quantitative analysis of E-CD expression may have some value in evaluating the intensity of LN metastasis of gastric cancer.