Clinicopathologic significance of dysadherin expression in cutaneous malignant melanoma : Immunohistochemical analysis of 115 patients

✍ Scribed by Aya Nishizawa; Yukihiro Nakanishi; Kimio Yoshimura; Yuko Sasajima; Naoya Yamazaki; Akifumi Yamamoto; Katsumi Hanada; Yae Kanai; Setsuo Hirohashi

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2005
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 300 KB
• Volume: 103
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0008-543X
• DOI: 10.1002/cncr.20984

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

BACKGROUND

The E‐cadherin–mediated cell adhesion system is frequently inactivated by multiple mechanisms and is involved in tumor progression in many types of cancer. Recently, the authors reported a novel cell membrane glycoprotein, dysadherin, which has an anti–cell‐cell adhesion function and down‐regulates E‐cadherin.

METHODS

Expression of both dysadherin and E‐cadherin was investigated immunohistochemically in 115 patients with cutaneous malignant melanoma to determine the correlation between the 2 molecules and their associations with both patient survival and the clinicopathologic features of the tumors.

RESULTS

Dysadherin and E‐cadherin were expressed at the cell membranes of melanoma cells. Fifty‐two percent of the tumors showed dysadherin immunopositivity, and 91% of the tumors showed reduced E‐cadherin immunopositivity. There was no significant inverse correlation between dysadherin expression and E‐cadherin expression. Increased dysadherin expression was significantly correlated with nodular subtype (P = 0.042), Clark level (P < 0.001), tumor thickness (P < 0.001), ulceration (P = 0.008), lymph node metastasis (P < 0.001), high TNM classification (P < 0.001), and poor patient survival (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis of patient survival revealed that increased dysadherin expression was a significant predictor of poor survival (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Thus, increased expression of dysadherin was a significant indicator of poor prognosis in patients with cutaneous malignant melanoma. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.