L‐CAM expression in lymph node and liver metastases of colorectal carcinomas

L‐CAM, also known as E‐cadherin, is a cell adhesion molecule expressed on the plasma membranes of epithelial cells at the intercellular interface. From in vitro gene transfection experiments the idea has been conceived that loss of L‐CAM expression might be related to the invasive capacity as well as metastatic potential of tumour cells. In several tumours a relation between the grade of differentiation and L‐CAM expression has been noticed: loss of differentiation appears to be associated with loss of L‐CAM immunoreactivity. Also, in lymph node metastases of poorly differentiated carcinomas loss of L‐CAM expression was demonstrated. In this study we describe L‐CAM expression in lymphogenous and haematogenous metastases of large bowel adenocarcinomas, using an indirect immunoperoxidase method with the monoclonal anti‐L‐CAM antibody 6F9. All the metastases studied—lymphogenous as well as haematogenous—demonstrated L‐CAM immunoreactivity in a pattern comparable to that of primary tumours. Intratumour heterogeneity in expression was noted, with normal intercellular, apical (non‐functional), and focally negative areas in the same tumour. The data indicate that primary tumours and their metastases do not differ strikingly in their pattern of L‐CAM expression. This would be consistent with transient rather than constitutive down‐regulation of L‐CAM in invasive and metastatic cancer cells.

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