Prognostic significance of E-cadherin expression in hepatocellular carcinoma: correlations with clinical features

Vol. 60 No. 4, 2019

ROMANIAN JOURNAL of MORPHOLOGY and EMBRYOLOGY

Amadeus Emanuel Dobrescu, Simona Norina Basa, Marioara Cornianu, Daniela Cornelia Lazar, Silviu Cristian Suciu, Anca Tudor, Octavia Cornelia Vita, Dorin Cristi Tarta-Marcu, Robert Alexandru Barna, Octavian Fulger Lazar

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents a major public health issue, being associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Previous studies have demonstrated that reduction and/or absence of E-cadherin expression is correlated with a potential for invasion and low survival rate in patients with HCC. Patients, Materials and Methods: We assessed the immunohistochemical expression of E-cadherin in 32 HCCs and peritumoral hepatic tissues using monoclonal anti-E-cadherin antibody (clone EP700Y), at 1:50 dilution, followed by incubation with Labeled Streptavidin-Biotin 2 (LSAB2) for 20 minutes, visualization of the reaction with 3,3-Diaminobenzidine (DAB) and counterstaining with Mayer s Hematoxylin. Results: The results we obtained show: an aberrant E-cadherin expression more frequent in dysplastic nodules (p=0.285) and in 81.25% of HCC cases, as compared to normal hepatic tissue (p<0.001); the absence of a statistically significant relationship between E-cadherin expression and patients gender (p=0.854), tumor localization (p=0.429), associated viral infection [hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV)] (p=0.513) or tumor size (p=0.788); the rate of positive E-cadherin expression was significantly higher in tumors with capsular infiltration (75%) (p=0.017) and does not appear to be influenced by vascular invasion (62.5%) (p=0.411), the presence of satellite nodules (p=0.285) or the serum level of alpha-fetoprotein (alpha-FP) (p=0.787). Conclusions: Reduced E-cadherin expression indicates a poor prognosis for patients with HCC and can be considered a potential predictive marker for the prognosis of these patients.

Corresponding author: Simona Norina Basa, Assistant Professor, MD, PhD; e-mail: norina.basa@yahoo.com; Marioara Cornianu, Associate Professor, MD, PhD; e-mail: marioaracornianu@yahoo.com

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