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Methylation status and expression of E-cadherin and cadherin-11 in gestational trophoblastic diseases
  1. W. C. Xue*,
  2. H. C. Feng,
  3. S. W. Tsao,
  4. K. Y. K. Chan*,
  5. H. Y. S. Ngan,
  6. P. M. Chiu*,
  7. C. D. Maccalman§ and
  8. A. N. Y. Cheung*
  1. * Department of Pathology, Queen Mary Hospital, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  2. Department of Anatomy, Queen Mary Hospital, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Queen Mary Hospital, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  4. § Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
  1. Address correspondence and reprint requests to: A.N.Y. Cheung, MD, Department of Pathology, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong. E-mail: anycheun{at}hkucc.hku.hk.

Abstract

The clinical significance of cadherins in gestational trophoblastic diseases (GTD) is not fully understood. In this study, the expression of E-cadherin and cadherin-11 in 12 normal placentas, 32 cases of hydatidiform mole (HM) including 15 complete HMs and 17 partial HMs, and five choriocarcinomas was investigated by immunohistochemistry and correlated with follow-up of HMs. Cases with available frozen blocks were further analyzed by western blot and semiquantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Methylation of E-cadherin was investigated by methylation-specific PCR in six normal first trimester placentas, 19 HMs and their associated deciduas. E-cadherin expression was localized to cytotrophoblast and intermediate trophoblast whereas cadherin-11 was expressed in syncytiotrophoblast, intermediate trophoblast, and decidua. Immunoreactivity of E-cadherin was reduced in choriocarcinoma and complete HM when compared with that in normal first trimester placenta (P < 0.01, P = 0.04). Hypermethylation of E-cadherin was demonstrated in three complete HMs with the lowest level of E-cadherin. Compared with normal first trimester placenta, immunoreactivity of cadherin-11 was higher in complete HM (P = 0.02), but lower in choriocarcinoma (P = 0.02). Such differential expression was confirmed by western blot and semiquantitative RT-PCR. No obvious association was observed between the development of persistent trophoblastic disease with the expression of E-cadherin and cadherin-11.

  • cadherin-11
  • E-cadherin
  • gestational trophoblastic diseases
  • hydatidiform mole
  • methylation

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