Ihara A, Koizumi H, Hashizume R, Uchikoshi T
Second Department of Pathology, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Japan.
Hepatology. 1996 Jun;23(6):1441-7. doi: 10.1053/jhep.1996.v23.pm0008675162.
Expression of the cell adhesion molecule, epithelial cadherin (E-CD) and its binding proteins, alpha- and beta-catenins, in normal liver, chronic liver diseases, and hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) was investigated immunohistologically. In normal liver, weak immunostaining of E-CD and catenins was observed at the lateral membranes of the hepatocytes, whereas at the interlobular bile duct epithelia, they stained strongly. No immunoreactions were seen in sinusoidal Kupffer cells. Similar results were observed in the majority of livers from chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis sufferers; however, hepatocytes undergoing regeneration and rosette formation, as well as Hering canals and proliferating ductules, showed markedly increased molecular expression. Analysis of 66 HCC lesions revealed that the majority (64.3-96.6%) of thin trabecular- and pseudoglandular-type tumors preserved or overexpressed E-CD and catenins, whereas thick trabecular-type HCCs frequently showed low E-CD and alpha-catenin expression (56.5-65.2% reduction), suggesting that the thick trabecular histology represented diffuse tumor cell growth. Likewise, the E-CD and catenin expression levels correlated with the HCC cell differentiation grades. These collective results indicate that intercellular adhesion mediated by the E-CD-catenin system plays a role in morphological changes in nonmalignant and malignant hepatic diseases.
采用免疫组织化学方法研究了细胞粘附分子上皮钙粘蛋白（E-CD）及其结合蛋白α-连环蛋白和β-连环蛋白在正常肝脏、慢性肝病和肝细胞癌（HCC）中的表达。在正常肝脏中，E-CD和连环蛋白在肝细胞的侧膜处呈弱免疫染色，而在小叶间胆管上皮细胞中，它们呈强染色。在肝血窦枯否细胞中未见免疫反应。在大多数慢性肝炎和肝硬化患者的肝脏中也观察到了类似的结果；然而，正在再生和形成玫瑰花结的肝细胞，以及赫林管和增生的小胆管，显示分子表达明显增加。对66个HCC病变的分析显示，大多数（64.3%-96.6%）细梁状和假腺管状肿瘤保留或过度表达E-CD和连环蛋白，而粗梁状HCC经常显示低E-CD和α-连环蛋白表达（降低56.5%-65.2%），这表明粗梁状组织学代表弥漫性肿瘤细胞生长。同样，E-CD和连环蛋白的表达水平与HCC细胞分化程度相关。这些总体结果表明，由E-CD-连环蛋白系统介导的细胞间粘附在非恶性和恶性肝脏疾病的形态变化中起作用。
