Expression of the cell-cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin in tongue carcinoma cell lines.

A reduction in cell adhesiveness and cell invasion are essential steps in tumour progression. In the present study six tongue carcinoma cell lines were compared with regard to their invasive potential in two in vitro invasion assay systems and for their patterns of expression of the cell-cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin. The three cell lines negative for E-cadherin expression were invasive in both assays. One cell line with strong E-cadherin expression was strongly invasive and one weakly invasive. One cell line with reduced E-cadherin expression was weakly invasive. There was no significant pattern to these findings (chi 2 = 0.375; p = 0.54). This supports previous studies from this group that suggest that E-cadherin is only one of the presumably many molecules involved in tumour progression in squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue.