J Korean Cancer Assoc.  1998 Oct;30(5):980-989.

Study on the Expression of E-cadherin and Cathepsin B in the Prostatic Carcinomas with the Evaluation of the Gleason Grade

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Pathology, Pusan National University, Pusan, Korea.
  • 2Department of Urology, Pusan National University, Pusan, Korea.

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the expression of E-cadherin and cathepsin-B in prostatic carcinomas and correlate with the Gleason grades.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The expressions of E-cadherin and cathepsin B were examined by the immunohistochemical technic using the antibodies against the E-cadherin and cathepsin B on the paraffin block sections of 56 prostatic carcinomas with evaluation of Gleason grading.
RESULTS
E-cadherin expression in normal epithelium was membranous intercellular expression and those of prostate carcinomas were aberrant expressions such as negative expression or cytoplasmic presentation. The expressivity of the E-cadherin according to the progression of the Gleason grading revealed negative membranous expression and tendency of gradual increase of aberrant expression. The normal prostate and BPH revealed expression of cathepsin B mostly in the basal layers of acini as cytoplasmic reaction and the stromal macrophages and microvessel wall also showed positive expression. The prostatic carcinoma showed cytoplasmic positivity in the cancer cells and the expression rate was increased from Gleason grade 2 to Gleason grade 4. But the Gleason grade 5 tissue revealed decreased or negative expression. The Gleason grade 4, especially in the invasive cells and invasive edges, revealed the most intense and frequent expression of cathepsin B and this findings were consistent with the nonnal function of the cathepsin B as a protease degrading the extracellular matrix proteins.
CONCLUSION
E-cadherin expression was aberrant after Gleason grade 6 related with high histologic grades. It is suggested that the E-cadherin expression could tell the potential cancer progression as a tumor suppression factor. The cathepsin B was most strongly expressed in basal cells of the benign prostatic acini and the cancer nests of Gleason grade 4, which tells the possibility that cathepsin B could be a marker of basocellular differentiation and of assessing stromal invasion of prostatic carcinomas.

Keyword

Prostate carcinoma; Gleason grade; E-cadherin; Cathepsin B

MeSH Terms

Antibodies
Cadherins*
Cathepsin B*
Cathepsins*
Cytoplasm
Epithelium
Extracellular Matrix Proteins
Macrophages
Microvessels
Neoplasm Grading
Paraffin
Prostate
Antibodies
Cadherins
Cathepsin B
Cathepsins
Extracellular Matrix Proteins
Paraffin
Full Text Links
  • JKCA
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr