Downregulated CDH3 decreases proliferation, migration, and invasion in thyroid cancer

Placental-Cadherin (CDH3), a cell adhesion molecule, is associated with the function of cells to bind with other cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM). CDH3 is highly expressed in many malignancies, and has been proved it could be a serum marker to monitor colorectal cancer, but the CDH3 expression levels in thyroid cancer is still not clear. In this article, we will illuminate the correlation between CDHs expression and thyroid cancer.

We analyzed the level of CDH3 expression in 60 pair of tissue samples (contrast thyroid cancer tissues with adjacent normal thyroid tissues) by Real-time PCR, and TCGA data portal. After that, we transfected small interfering RNA to silence CDH3 in thyroid cancer cell lines (KTC-1 and BCPAP) and confirmed the function of CDH3 by performed colony formation, migration, invasion, cell counting kit-8 and apoptosis assays.

CDH3 was upregulated in thyroid cancer tissues compared to the adjacent normal tissues (T:N=71.87±39.88:5.35±5.91, P<0.0001) and TCGA (T:N=19.43±13.82:1.22±1.33, P<0.0001). In thyroid cell lines (KTC-1 and BCPAP) experiments showed that downregulated CDH3 inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion. Meanwhile, inhibited CDH3 expression could upregulate E-cadherin, downregulated N-cadherin, which may control invasion and migration.

Thyroid cancer cells CDH3 expression levels is a correlation with its ability to grow, migrate and invade.