E-钙黏蛋白在鼻咽癌组织中的表达水平及其与颈部淋巴结转移的关系

目的 探讨E-钙黏蛋白(E-cadherin)在鼻咽癌组织中的表达水平以及与鼻咽癌颈部淋巴结转移的关系.方法 应用免疫组织化学SP法,检测80例鼻咽癌组织中E-cadherin的表达水平.结果 80例鼻咽癌组织中,E-cadherin低表达48例,高表达32例.随着N分期的进展,E-eadherin的表达水平越低(P=0.018).鼻咽癌颈部转移淋巴结的大小与E-cadherin的表达水平无关(χ2=1.666,P=0.435).颈部转移淋巴结局限于单个区域者的E-cadherin高表达率(69.2%)明显高于分散于多个区域者(25.9%,P=0.000),且在单个区域内单枚淋巴结转移者的E-cadherin高表达率(48.1%)明显高于多枚转移者(25.0%,P=0.044).Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Va区转移者的E-cadherin的高表达率(48.0%)虽高于Ⅰ、Ⅳ、Vb、Ⅵ区转移者(26.7%),但差异并无统计学意义(P=0.059).颈部转移淋巴结与鼻咽癌位于同侧者的E-cadherin高表达率(56.5%)和双侧转移者(32.6%)差异无统计学意义(P=0.059).结论 E-cadherin的表达水平影响鼻咽癌颈部淋巴结转移的区域;E-cadherin的表达水平越低,颈淋巴结转移数目越多,转移距离越远,N分期越晚.E-cadherin的表达水平对鼻咽癌颈部淋巴结自上而下转移的影响较其向对侧淋巴结转移的影响更为显著.

Expression of E-cadherin in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and its relationship with cervical lymph node metastasis

Objective To investigate the expression of E-cadherin in nasopharyngeal carcinoma ( NPC) and its relationship with cervical lymph node metastasis. Methods The expression of E-cadherin in 80 patients with NPC was detected by immunohistochemistry. Results Lower expression of E-cadherin was associated with advanced N-stage of the tumor ( P = 0. 018 ). There was no significant correlation between the expression of E-cadherin and lymph node size ( P = 0.435 ). The expression of E-cadherin was higher in patients with cervical lymph node metastasis limited to a single area than that distributing in some scattered areas (P = 0. 000). There was a trend that the expression of E-cadherin in the cases with the tumor and lymph nodes in the same side was higher (56. 5% ) than that in the patients with bilateral lymph node metastases (32. 6% ) , however, the difference was not significant (P =0. 059). The expression rates of E-cadherin in patients with lymph node metastasis in levels Ⅱ , Ⅲ and Ⅴa were higher than that in levels Ⅰ , Ⅳ, Vb and Ⅵ, but with a non-significant difference (P = 0.059). Conclusion The expression of E-cadherin has influence on the lymph node metastasis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. E-cadherin expression is negatively correlated with the numbers of the lymph node metastases and the metastasis distance, i. e. a lower expression of E-cadherin leads to an advanced N-stage. The lymph node metastasis of nasopharyngeal cancer from above to below is more considerably influenced by E-cadherin expression than the metastasis towards contralateral lymph nodes.