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Updated: Oct 20, 2025

Differentiation of Mouse Breast Epithelial HC11 and EpH4 Cells
Published on: February 27, 2020
The role of E-Cadherin expression in primary site of breast cancer
Nora Karsten1, Thomas Kolben1, Sven Mahner1
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Breast Center and CCCLMU, LMU University Hospital, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377, Munich, Germany.
Purpose:
The tumour's ability to metastasize is the major cause for fatal outcomes in cancer diseases. In breast cancer, aberrant E-Cadherin expression has been linked to invasiveness and poor prognosis.
Method:
We assessed expression of E-Cadherin by immunohistochemistry in primary tumour tissue from 125 female breast cancer patients. Staining intensities were analysed using the immunoreactive score (IRS). We investigated E-Cadherin expression and its associations with clinicopathological parameters (age, tumour size, lymph node status, grade, hormone receptors, Her2 Status) as well as with recurrence and survival.
Results:
Increased, rather than aberrant E-Cadherin expression was found and was associated with poor outcome (p = 0.046). Our data show an association between elevated E-Cadherin in primary tumour tissue and an unfavourable negative prognosis in patients.
Conclusion:
This association was somehow unexpected as loss of E-Cadherin has long been regarded as a prerequisite for development of invasiveness and metastases. Our findings support the notion that E-Cadherin promotes, rather than suppresses, development of metastasis and invasiveness.
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