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Serum-soluble E-cadherin fragments in lung cancer
M Cioffi1, P Gazzerro, B Di Finizio
1Istituto di Patologia Generale e Oncologia, Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli, Naples, Italy.
Aims And Background:
E-cadherin, also known as uvomorulin or cell-CAM 120/80, is one of the subclasses of cadherins, CA(2+)-dependent cell adhesion molecules. Several recent studies have suggested that loss of E-cadherin may be associated with tumor progression, such as in lung, gastric, hepatocellular, breast and prostatic carcinoma. Assessment of E-cadherin serum levels in lung cancer showed a relation to histologic type.
Methods And Study Design:
Using an enzyme immunoassay, we determined E-cadherin serum levels in 79 patients affected with lung cancer (stage I-IV), 9 patients with breast cancer, 23 patients with different benign diseases, and 20 healthy patients.
Results:
At a specificity level of 90%, E-cadherin diagnostic sensitivity was 66.6%, 47.6% and 43.7% in patients affected with squamous cell carcinoma, small cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, respectively.
Conclusions:
Preliminary results suggest the use of serum E-cadherin as a prospective tumor marker.