Immunoexpression of E-cadherin, Snail and Twist in colonic adenocarcinomas

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Pathology

Background:

• Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is crucial for tumor progression and metastasis.
• Snail and Twist are transcription factors that play significant roles in EMT by inhibiting E-cadherin.
• Understanding EMT markers in colorectal cancer can improve prognostic assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the immunoexpression of E-cadherin, Snail, and Twist in colorectal carcinomas.
• To correlate the expression of these markers with histopathological prognostic factors.
• To evaluate the role of Snail and Twist in the aggressiveness of colon cancer.

Main Methods:

• Immunohistochemical analysis of E-cadherin, Snail, and Twist in 46 colorectal carcinoma cases.
• Quantification of marker expression using a composite score (CS) based on intensity and percentage of marked cells.
• Comparison of marker expression with clinicopathological features like tumor grade, stage, and invasion.

Main Results:

• All cases showed positive cytoplasmic and nuclear signals for Snail and Twist.
• Intense immunostaining for Snail and Twist correlated with higher composite scores in advanced, invasive tumors (G2/G3) compared to early-stage lesions (G1).
• A significant positive linear correlation was observed between Snail and Twist expression.

Conclusions:

• Snail and Twist expression are significantly associated with the aggressiveness of colorectal carcinoma.
• These markers are implicated in tumor progression and invasive characteristics.
• Elevated Snail and Twist levels may serve as valuable indicators for oncological evaluation and guiding patient therapy.