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Updated: Nov 28, 2025
Induction of Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transitions in Sarcoma Cells
Published on: April 7, 2017
Radiologic Features of Resected Lung Adenocarcinoma With Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
Taichi Matsubara1, Tetsuzo Tagawa1, Gouji Toyokawa2
1Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan.
Background:
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition plays a crucial role in cancer progression and is a significant prognosticator for postoperative survival in patients with lung cancer. Predicting epithelial-mesenchymal transition preoperatively using computed tomography may help to determine the optimal surgical strategy.
Methods:
We performed an immunohistochemical analysis of E-cadherin and vimentin expressions using tumor specimens from resected primary lung adenocarcinoma and classified the results into 3 subgroups according to the expressions: epithelial, intermediate, and mesenchymal. The intermediate and mesenchymal groups were classified as the epithelial-mesenchymal transition conversion group. We analyzed the association between epithelial-mesenchymal transition and radiologic characteristics, especially computed tomographic features.
Results:
The epithelial-mesenchymal transition conversion group comprised 162 patients (49.1%). Computed tomography revealed that tumors with epithelial-mesenchymal transition conversion showed a high consolidation/tumor ratio compared with those without conversion. Univariate analysis demonstrated that tumors with epithelial-mesenchymal transition were significantly associated with bronchial and/or vascular convergence (P < .001) and notching (P = .028). When the cutoff value for the consolidation/tumor ratio was set by the receiver operating characteristic curve, independent predictive factors for epithelial-mesenchymal transition by multivariate analysis were high ratio (>0.7946; P < .001) and the presence of convergence (P = .05). Tumors with a high consolidation/tumor ratio and convergence had a 4-fold higher odds ratio for epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and patients had significantly poorer survival.
Conclusions:
Convergence and a high consolidation/tumor ratio were independently associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition conversion. These preoperative radiologic results will help to predict epithelial-mesenchymal transition conversion in lung adenocarcinoma.
