Yonsei Med J.  1998 Feb;39(1):37-44. 10.3349/ymj.1998.39.1.37.

E-cadherin expression in thymomas

• Yang WI
• Yang KM
• Hong SW
• Kim KD

• KMID: 711524
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.1998.39.1.37

Abstract

For the purpose of investigating the pattern of E-cadherin (E-CD) expression in thymomas, 72 cases were immunostained using monoclonal antibody (HECD-1) and microwave-enhanced immunohistochemical method on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections. The thymomas were classified according to modified Muller-Hermelink classification. The spindle-shaped, medullary type tumor epithelial cells in medullary (3 cases) and composite type (20 cases) thymomas rarely expressed E-CD except in focal areas showing microcystic change observed in 8 cases. Meanwhile, the cohesive epithelioid tumor cells in every case of well-differentiated thymic carcinomas (WDTC) (29 cases) expressed E-CD. The epithelial cells in cortical type (13 cases) expressed stronger E-CD compared with those of organoid type (7 cases). In cases of WDTC admixed with cortical type, we observed increasing expression of E-CD as the tumor epithelium forms cohesive sheets. We could not find any loss of E-CD expression in invasive foci of the 11 cases of high-staged WDTC examined. Since the results of our study show a strong correlation between E-CD expression and epithelioid morphology of the tumor, E-CD seems to play a major role as a morpho-regulatory factor rather than as a suppressor of invasion in organotypic thymomas.

Keyword

E-cadherin; thymomas; immunohistochemistry

MeSH Terms

Adolescence
Adult
Aged
Cadherins/immunology
Cadherins/analysis*
Female
Human
Immunohistochemistry
Male
Middle Age
Neoplasm Staging
Thymoma/pathology
Thymoma/classification
Thymoma/chemistry*
Thymus Neoplasms/pathology
Thymus Neoplasms/classification
Thymus Neoplasms/chemistry*