[Abnormal E-cadherin expression as a risk factor for deep myometrial invasion and lymph node metastasis in endometrial carcinoma].

We examined expression of E-cadherin cell-cell adhesion molecule, which is supposed to have invasion-suppressing activity, in 53 cases with endometrial carcinoma. Fresh frozen sections were immunostained with a mouse monoclonal antibody to human E-cadherin (HECD-1). E-cadherin expression was inversely correlated with grade of tumor (p = 0.0267), depth of myometrial invasion (p = 0.0146) and pelvic and paraaortic node metastases (p = 0.0184 and p = 0.0419, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed that among histologic grade, nuclear grade, and E-cadherin expression, E-cadherin expression was most strongly correlated with depth of myometrial invasion (p = 0.0491). These results suggest that decreased expression of E-cadherin facilitates invasion of endometrial carcinoma.