Sioulas Vasileios, Lambrinoudaki Irene, Politi Ekaterini, Kyroudi Aspasia, Sergentanis Theodoros N, Panoulis Constantinos, Augoulea Areti, Kaparos George, Creatsa Maria, Koutselini Helen, Papadias Konstantinos
Menopause Clinic, 2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Athens, Aretaieio Hospital, Athens, Greece.
J Obstet Gynaecol Res. 2008 Dec;34(6):1043-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1447-0756.2008.00824.x.
Epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin), a transmembrane glycoprotein involved in calcium-dependent homophilic cell-cell adhesion, is expressed aberrantly during cervical carcinogenesis. E-cadherin expression and putatively implicated predictors in healthy women remain a rather under-investigated area. The objective of this study is to evaluate the possible associations between E-cadherin expression and reproductive/lifestyle factors in cervical epithelial cells from postmenopausal women.
A total of 105 healthy postmenopausal women (aged 45-68 years old) attending a university menopause clinic were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Pap smears were derived and E-cadherin immunostaining was evaluated in squamous, glandular and squamous metaplastic cells, using a semi-quantitative method (rating scale: 0-3). Reproductive and lifestyle factors were obtained from patients' chart review.
In squamous cells, women with a history of 0-1 deliveries presented with a higher score vs women with 2-4 deliveries (P = 0.003). Social drinkers and women drinking alcohol daily exhibited a higher E-cadherin immunostaining score in squamous cells vs non-drinkers (0.96 +/- 0.72 vs 0.56 +/- 0.65, P = 0.004). A higher dietary calcium intake was marginally correlated with a lower staining score in squamous cells (0.94 +/- 0.78 for low, 0.71 +/- 0.70 for average, 0.45 +/- 0.52 for high consumption, P = 0.073).
E-cadherin expression seems to be associated with reproductive history and lifestyle habits in squamous cervical cells from healthy postmenopausal women. E-cadherin might participate in the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of parity as a risk factor for cervical cancer.
上皮钙黏蛋白（E-钙黏蛋白）是一种参与钙依赖性同种型细胞间黏附的跨膜糖蛋白，在宫颈癌发生过程中表达异常。健康女性中E-钙黏蛋白的表达及可能相关的预测因素仍是一个研究较少的领域。本研究的目的是评估绝经后女性宫颈上皮细胞中E-钙黏蛋白表达与生殖/生活方式因素之间的可能关联。
本横断面研究纳入了105名在大学更年期诊所就诊的健康绝经后女性（年龄45 - 68岁）。采集巴氏涂片，采用半定量方法（评分范围：0 - 3）对鳞状细胞、腺细胞和鳞状化生细胞中的E-钙黏蛋白进行免疫染色评估。生殖和生活方式因素通过查阅患者病历获得。
在鳞状细胞中，有0 - 1次分娩史的女性与有2 - 4次分娩史的女性相比，E-钙黏蛋白评分更高（P = 0.003）。社交饮酒者和每日饮酒的女性与不饮酒者相比，鳞状细胞中E-钙黏蛋白免疫染色评分更高（0.96±0.72对0.56±0.65，P = 0.004）。饮食中钙摄入量较高与鳞状细胞中较低的染色评分呈微弱相关（低摄入量组为0.94±0.78，平均摄入量组为0.71±0.70，高摄入量组为0.45±0.52，P = 0.073）。
E-钙黏蛋白的表达似乎与健康绝经后女性宫颈鳞状细胞的生殖史和生活方式习惯有关。E-钙黏蛋白可能参与了生育次数作为宫颈癌危险因素作用的分子机制。
