【摘要】 目的　检测上皮钙粘附素 (E -cadherin ,E -cad)和连环素 (β -catenin ,β -cat)复合物在鼻咽癌原发肿瘤及其颈淋巴结转移癌中的表达 ,探讨其在鼻咽癌转移中的作用。方法　随机选择 16例鼻咽癌患者鼻咽部肿瘤及其颈淋巴结转移癌活检组织标本 ,利用免疫组化方法检测癌细胞中E -cad和 β -cat表达 ,非参数秩和检验。 结果　 16例原发鼻咽癌皆表达E -cad和 β -cat,但各例癌细胞阳性表达率和鼻咽正常黏膜上皮相比 ,显示不同程度减低 ;E -cad局限于细胞膜 ,且在TNM分期 (鼻咽癌’92分期 )中T2 组较T1组的阳性率明显减低 (t=31 5 ,P <0 0 0 5 )。β -cat除细胞膜外 ,5 0 % (8/16 )还出现在细胞浆中。淋巴结转移癌细胞中E -cad和 β -cat表达 ,和其原发癌相比显著减低 (P <0 0 0 5 )或缺失 ;4例(2 5 % )显示细胞核 β -cat着色。 结论　鼻咽癌及颈淋巴结转移癌中E -cad和 β -cat减低表达或缺失以及 β -cat分布改变 ,可使癌细胞间的粘附力降低 ,增强癌细胞的侵袭及扩散能力 ,可能在鼻咽癌淋巴结转移过程中起着一定的推动作用 ,与鼻咽癌易发生颈淋巴结转移有关更多还原

【Abstract】 Objective To detect the expression of E-cadherin and β-catenin in primary nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC) and their lymph node metastases and to study their role in NPC metastasis.Methods Immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression of E-cadherin and β-catenin in speciments of primary NPC and their lymph node metastasis from 16 NPC patients. The Mann-Whitney(rank-sum) test was used.Results All of 16 cases of primary NPC expressed different degrees of E-cadherin and β-catenin. E-cadherin staining was mainly resticted to cell membranes. The E-cadherin expressive rates of the group T 2 was markedly lower than group T 1(according to NPC 92 stages). β-catenin expression was also observed in the cytoplasm (8 of 16 cases, 50%) in addition to membranous expression. E-cadherin and β-catenin expression was markedly reduced or disappeared in the lymph node metastases compared with their corresponding primary tumors( P <0 005). 4 of 16 cases (25%) of lymph node metastasis showed strong nuclear staining of β-catenin.Conclusion A marked decrease or absence of E-cadherin and β-catenin expression was observed in the lymph node metastasis of NPC compared with their primary tumors, suggesting that downregulation of these complex molecules and the change the distribution of β-catenin may enhance the invasiveness and the spread of cancer cells, probably facilitating lymph node metastasis of NPC.更多还原