The role of E-cadherin expression and E-cadherin gene promoter hypermethylation in gastric carcinoma

Background Gastric cancer is the third fatal cancers worldwide after lung cancer and liver cancer. Various studies have been launched to detect the markers helping predict the prognosis of different forms of this disease, thus, modifying the treatment regimen accordingly. The aim of this study was to define the role of the E-cadherin protein in such an important issue. Patients and methods Sixty-four patients with gastric carcinoma were included in this study. For each case, representative sections from the tumor tissue and the adjacent noncancerous tissue were assessed for E-cadherin protein expression by immunohistochemistry and promoter methylation by the methylation-specific PCR analysis technique. The results were correlated with Helicobacter pylori positivity and other clinicopathological variables. Result The frequencies of reduced E-cadherin expression and E-cadherin gene methylation were significantly higher in diffuse than intestinal-type gastric carcinoma. However, no significant relationship was found when being correlated to the T-stage and the N-stage of the corresponding lesions. Conclusion Reduced E-cadherin expression and E-cadherin methylation are common alterations in gastric cancer. These gene alternations facilitate cell invasion and metastatic spread with no significant correlation to the T-stage nor the N-stage of the tumor.