TY - JOUR T1 - Differential Expression of E-Cadherin in Primary Breast Cancer and Corresponding Lymph Node Metastases JF - Anticancer Research JO - Anticancer Res SP - 759 LP - 765 VL - 35 IS - 2 AU - VEACESLAV FULGA AU - LUCIAN RUDICO AU - AMALIA RALUCA BALICA AU - ANCA MARIA CIMPEAN AU - LILIAN SAPTEFRATI AU - MADALIN-MARIUS MARGAN AU - MARIUS RAICA Y1 - 2015/02/01 UR - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/35/2/759.abstract N2 - Background/Aim: E-Cadherin is a marker with a controversial function. Its role is often interpreted in the context of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. In ambiguous cases, it is used as a phenotypic marker of lobular subtype of breast carcinoma. It has been well-studied in primary cancer, but its expression after metastasis is not well-described. The aim of this study was to determine the evolution of E-cadherin expression in no special type (NST) primary breast carcinoma and to correlate this with that in distant, paired nodal metastases (LNM) and molecular classification. Material and Methods: We processed 88 invasive breast carcinomas of NST type and their paired LNM. The specimens were formalin-fixed and paraffin embedded. Sections were immunostained for estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2), basal cytokeratin CK5, nuclear protein Ki67 and E-cadherin with a Leica Bond-Max autostainer. Results: The results obtained were grouped into four molecular subtypes: Luminal A, luminal B, HER2-overexpressing, and triple-negative/basal-like. We found that the frequency of E-cadherin expression was higher (95.45%) in primary sites than in LNM (72.73%). E-Cadherin from primary breast cancer correlated positively only with E-cadherin in LNM (p≤0.003). A single positive correlation of E-cadherin with ER (p≤0.007) LNM was found. Conclusion: E-Cadherin expression is not stable during the metastatic process. Its expression in LNM is lower than in primary sites. E-Cadherin expression in primary sites positively correlates with E-cadherin from LNM. ER -