The E-cadherin repressor snail plays a role in tumor progression of endometrioid adenocarcinomas.

Abstract

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer in the developed world. The cell-adhesion protein E-cadherin acts as a tumor-suppressor protein and is down-regulated by the transcription factor Snail, whose expression was shown to be associated with estrogen receptor signaling. This study aimed to investigate the expression of E-cadherin, Snail, and estrogen-receptor alpha in 87 primary tumors and 26 metastases of endometroid endometrial carcinomas. Reduced E-cadherin immunoreactivity was seen in 44.8% of the primary tumors and 65.4% of the metastases with a statistical correlation to higher tumor grade (P=0.003) only in metastatic lesions. About 28.7% of primary tumor specimens showed a positive Snail immunoreactivity that was correlated with reduced estrogen-receptor alpha expression (P=0.047). Positive Snail immunoreactivity was also seen in 53.8% of the metastases where it was correlated with higher tumor grade (P=0.003) and abnormal E-cadherin expression (P=0.003). Interestingly, a Snail expressing endometrial carcinoma-cell line showed a higher migration potential than a variant of this cell line with low levels of Snail. Taken together, our data are in line with a proposed role for Snail in endometrial tumor progression.

• Authors: Kareen Blechschmidt, Elisabeth Kremmer, Regina Hollweck, Ioannis Mylonas, Heinz Höfler, Marcus Kremer, Karl-Friedrich Becker
• Journal: Diagnostic molecular pathology : the American journal of surgical pathology, part B (Diagn Mol Pathol) Vol. 16 Issue 4 Pg. 222-8 (Dec 2007) ISSN: 1052-9551 [Print] United States
• PMID: 18043286 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Cadherins
• Estrogen Receptor alpha
• MTA3 protein, human
• Neoplasm Proteins
• Repressor Proteins
• Snail Family Transcription Factors
• Transcription Factors

Topics

• Cadherins (analysis, genetics, metabolism)
• Carcinoma, Endometrioid (metabolism, pathology)
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Endometrial Neoplasms (metabolism, pathology)
• Estrogen Receptor alpha (analysis, metabolism)
• Female
• Humans
• Immunohistochemistry
• Neoplasm Proteins (analysis, metabolism)
• Neoplasm Staging
• Repressor Proteins (analysis, physiology)
• Snail Family Transcription Factors
• Transcription Factors (analysis, physiology)
• Wound Healing