Expression of N-cadherin in patients with multiple myeloma

Objective To investigate the expression and clinical significance of N-cadherin in patients with multiple myeloma (MM).Methods A total of newly diagnosed 54 MM patients and 20 controls were enrolled in this study.The expression of N-cadherin was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot.Results The N-cadherin mRNA expression levels of MM patients and normal controls were 6.056±3.033 and 1.788±0.778 (P ＜ 0.000 1).N-cadherin mRNA expression levels of ISS stage Ⅰ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ were 3.681±3.185,5.757±3.292 and 7.460±3.647,respectively.The results indicated that N-cadherin was significantly up-regulated in stage Ⅱ and stage Ⅲ (P ＜ 0.05),not in stage Ⅰ (P ＞ 0.05) compared with controls.The median levels of N-cadherin mRNA expression in MM patients with or without extramedullary infiltration were 9.159±3.178 and 5.083±3.288,respectively (P ＜ 0.001).MM patients with bone destruction had a higher N-cadherin mRNA expression level (6.544±3.729) than patients without bone destruction (4.240±2.896) (P =0.047).N-cadherin mRNA expression in newly diagnosed MM patients was 6.056±3.033,the expression in responded patients after treatment was significantly decreased (3.768±2.216) (P =0.015),and in no responded patients the levels of N-cadherin were not significantly decreased (P ＞ 0.05).The levels of N-cadherin protein were up-regulated in newly diagnosed patients and relapsed patients compared with controls,which was reduced in remission MM patients.And relapsed patients had a higher N-cadherin protein expression than newly diagnosed patients.Conclusion High expression of N-cadherin in MM patients may play an important role during the occurrence and development of MM. Key words: Mutiple myeloma;  N-cadherin