Expression of E-cadherin in bone and soft tissue sarcomas: a possible role in epithelial differentiation

Our plain-English summary of Expression of E-cadherin in bone and soft tissue sarcomas: a possible role in epithelial differentiation, by H. Sato, T. Hasegawa, Y. Abe, et al (Human Pathology, 1999).

The study

• Authors: H. Sato, T. Hasegawa, Y. Abe, H. Sakai, S. Hirohashi
• Journal: Human Pathology
• Published: 1999;30(11):1344-9
• Cited by: 44 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

The cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion system is now known to play a critical role in both the morphogenesis of cancer cells and suppression of their invasion. However, the pattern of expression of E-cadherin, the major cadherin of epithelial cells in bone and soft tissue sarcomas, remains unclear. This prompted us to study E-cadherin expression in a variety of bone and soft tissue sarcomas. Using the monoclonal antibody HECD-1, raised against the extracellular domain of E-cadherin, we observed immunoreactivity in 1 pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma, 2 of 5 diffuse mesotheliomas, 4 of 5 clear cell sarcomas, 1 of 5 epithelioid sarcomas, and 10 synovial sarcomas. Other types of bone and soft tissue sarcoma (4 osteosarcomas, 4 chondrosarcomas, 3 primitive neuroectodermal tumors, 1 fibrosarcoma, 4 malignant fibrous histiocytomas, 5 liposarcomas, 4 leiomyosarcomas, 6 alveolar and 5 embryonal rhabdomyosarcomas, 4 angiosarcomas, 4 malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, 2 extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcomas, 2 extraskeletal osteosarcomas, and 3 alveolar soft part sarcomas) were completely negative for E-cadherin. Our findings indicate that E-cadherin is expressed in certain kinds of soft tissue sarcomas, especially those with epithelioid features, suggesting that E-cadherin plays a role in the constitution of their architecture.

In plain English

This laboratory study looked at whether sarcomas (malignant tumors of bone and soft tissue), including diffuse mesotheliomas, contain E-cadherin, the main protein that helps epithelial cells stick to one another. The authors stained surgical tumor samples from patients registered at the National Cancer Center Hospital in Tokyo between 1983 and 1997 with an antibody called HECD-1. Some samples were dropped from the analysis because normal cells used as a check did not stain. Among the remaining samples, staining was seen in 1 pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma, 2 of 5 diffuse mesotheliomas, 4 of 5 clear cell sarcomas, 1 of 5 epithelioid sarcomas and all 10 synovial sarcomas. All other sarcoma types tested were negative. The two positive mesotheliomas, one epithelial-type and one biphasic-type, showed weak staining. The two spindle-type mesotheliomas were not among those positive. The authors said their sample was too small for a definite conclusion about using E-cadherin to tell mesothelioma apart from lung adenocarcinoma. They concluded that E-cadherin may play a role in the epithelioid architecture of soft tissue sarcomas. The article does not discuss asbestos or say where in the body the mesotheliomas arose.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Laboratory (immunohistochemical) study of stored surgical tumor specimens
• Who was studied: Surgical specimens of many types of bone and soft tissue sarcoma from patients registered at the National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, 1983 through 1997. These included 5 diffuse mesotheliomas (1 epithelial, 2 spindle and 2 biphasic types). Some specimens were later excluded because their control cells did not stain.
• Exposure: No asbestos or other exposure was studied. The study measured staining for the protein E-cadherin using the antibody HECD-1.
• Main results:
  • Among the samples kept for analysis, E-cadherin staining was seen in 1 pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma, 2 of 5 diffuse mesotheliomas, 4 of 5 clear cell sarcomas, 1 of 5 epithelioid sarcomas, and all 10 synovial sarcomas.
  • In the mesotheliomas, weak E-cadherin staining was seen in 1 epithelial-type and 1 biphasic-type case. In the biphasic case, staining was mainly in the epithelioid cells.
  • In biphasic synovial sarcomas, moderate to strong staining was found where the epithelioid cells in gland-like structures met each other.
  • In monophasic fibrous synovial sarcoma, a few tumor cells showed E-cadherin on their cell membranes.
  • Four of the 5 epithelioid sarcomas showed no E-cadherin, despite their epithelioid appearance.
  • All other sarcoma types tested were completely negative for E-cadherin.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that E-cadherin expression may play a role in forming an epithelioid tumor structure in soft tissue sarcomas. They called for further study of its usefulness in diagnosis.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The sample was too small for a definite conclusion on whether E-cadherin reliably distinguishes mesothelioma from lung adenocarcinoma.
  • The small number of cases also meant the authors could not conclude that E-cadherin staining helps distinguish monophasic fibrous synovial sarcoma from other spindle cell sarcomas.
  • Some specimens were excluded because their control cells did not stain. The authors suggested that decalcification or prolonged formalin fixation may have damaged the part of E-cadherin that the antibody detects.

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Sarcoma, Monoclonal Antibody, Pleomorphic, Mesothelioma, Epithelioid, Synovial Sarcoma.

Related studies

• Updates on the cytogenetics and molecular genetics of bone and soft tissue tumors. Mesothelioma — A.A. Sandberg, J.A. Bridge (2001)
• Application of markers in the diagnosis of soft tissue tumours — P.J. Roholl, A.S. De Jong, et al. (1985)
• Differential expression of N-cadherin in pleural mesotheliomas and E-cadherin in lung adenocarcinomas in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues — A.C. Han, A. Peralta-Soler, et al. (1997)
• Sarcomatoid mesothelioma with osteoid differentiation — M. Evison, P.A. Crosbie, et al. (2013)
• Soft tissue sarcomas of vulva — I. Davos, M.R. Abell (1976)
• Two cases of secondary soft tissue sarcomas after radiotherapy and radiochemotherapy — C. Saggia, G. Forti, et al. (2004)

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