부산대학교 도서관

Aims To evaluate epithelial cell adhesion molecule (Ep- CAM) and E48 expression, and their relationship with histological differentiation and nodal metastasis, in laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas ( SCC). Methods and results The expression of Ep- CAM and E48 was investigated using immunohistochemistry in a series of 66 SCC (stages 3 and 4) and their adjacent non-neoplastic epithelia. Ep- CAM expression increased with the progression from normal squamous epithelium to SCC. It was detected in 96% of carcinomas and high levels of Ep- CAM expression (50% or more positive cells) were associated with poorer differentiation ( P = 0.003) and the presence of lymph node metastases ( P = 0.001). E48 expression was characteristically strong and diffuse in non-neoplastic squamous epithelium, and decreased with progression to SCC. Poorly differentiated (grade 4) tumours had lower proportions of E48-positive cells than well- to moderately- differentiated cases ( P < 0.001). Conclusions Expression of both Ep- CAM and E48 correlated with cell differentiation, although in inverse fashion. In particular, the association between high levels of Ep- CAM expression and high frequency of nodal metastases suggests that Ep- CAM plays a role in the development of lymph node metastases in SCC of the larynx. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]