N-cadherin Expression in Feline Mammary Tumors Is Associated With a Reduced E-cadherin Expression and the Presence of Regional Metastasis

Abstract

The cadherin family of adhesion molecules regulates cell-cell interactions. N-cadherin is expressed by neural and fibroblast cells but not by normal epithelial cells. In human medicine, the role of N-cadherin in breast cancer remains controversial, but some studies have described the switch from E-cadherin to N-cadherin as a critical step in the malignant progression of neoplastic cells. The present study was carried out on 160 feline mammary tumors (21 adenomas and 139 carcinomas). The relationship between the immunohistochemical expression of N-cadherin in neoplastic epithelial cells and 2 established prognostic factors such as regional metastasis and tumor grade was examined. The results of the study showed a statistically significant relation between the expression of N-cadherin and the 2 prognostic factors, and also a reduced expression of E-cadherin in tumors that expressed N-cadherin.

Papillary meningioma in the dog: A clinicopathological case series study

“…In contrast to E-cadherin, N-cadherin expression in neoplastic cells produces a promigratory effect, promoting tumor infiltration in the connective tissue, possibly by favoring association of cancer cells with endothelial and other stromal cells (Agiostratidou et al, 2007;Nieman et al, 1999;Péglion and Etienne-Manneville, 2012). Although changes in cadherin expression during carcinomatous progression are today well documented in man and domestic animals (Buendia et al, 2013;Gheldof and Berx, 2013;Gunasinghe et al, 2012;Osisami and Keller, 2013), the possibility that such changes occur in meningiomas has only recently begun to be explored in humans (Celebre et al, 2013;Figarella-Branger et al, 1994) and dogs (Ide et al, 2011).…”

Malignant mammary tumors metastasis behavior of feline species

“…Em gatas, as estruturas mais frequentemente envolvidas com lesões secundárias aos carcinomas mamários, conforme vários autores são os linfonodos satélites (52 a 83%), pulmões (77 a 83%), fígado (24 a 25%) e pleura (22 a 42%), podendo ocorrer acompanhamento ou não de efusão pleural (Ferreira & Amorim, 2003;Filgueira & Araújo, 2006;Magalhães et al, 2009;Giménez et al, 2010;Togni et al, 2013;Buendia et al, 2014). Na presente pesquisa, estas estruturas também corresponderam aos locais de maior frequência para o aparecimento de invasão metastática dos carcinomas mamários.…”

“…Nos felinos, aproximadamente 84,2% dos carcinomas mamários revelam comportamento invasivo (Magalhães et al, 2009). A disseminação metastática pode direcionar-se para áreas limítrofes ao tumor, como os linfonodos regionais, pele e tecido muscular e/ou nos sítios à distância, sendo o pulmão o órgão mais acometido, embora outras localidades possam ser afetadas concomitantemente (Filgueira, 2011;Togni et al, 2013;Buendia et al, 2014).…”

Aberrant P-cadherin expression is associated to aggressive feline mammary carcinomas

“…E-cadherin (epithelial) and P-cadherin (placental), are the best characterised members of the cadherin superfamily [ 8 ], similarly expressed in normal mammary epithelium of different species, namely human [ 4 , 6 , 9 - 13 ], canine [ 14 - 17 ] and feline [ 18 - 20 ]: E-cadherin is expressed by luminal epithelial cells while P-cadherin is restricted to myoepithelial cells. Changes in their expression have been observed in mammary tumours and related to mammary carcinogenesis, both in humans [ 5 , 9 , 11 - 13 , 21 - 27 ], dogs [ 14 , 16 , 17 , 28 - 30 ], as well as in cats [ 18 - 20 , 31 , 32 ]. Loss of expression and/or abnormal function of E-cadherin increase the ability of cells to invade neighbouring tissues, thus favouring mammary tumour progression and spread [ 4 , 13 , 33 - 35 ], whereas overexpression of P-cadherin is related to increased cell proliferation, motility, invasiveness, and metastatic progression, thus being considered an invasion-promoting protein in breast cancer [ 5 , 22 , 25 , 26 , 36 - 38 ].…”