CDH1 methylation of E-cadherin gene in human intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas: Correlation between clinico-pathologic parameters and patients' survival / 第二军医大学学报

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate CDH1 methylation of epithelial cadherin(E-cadherin) gene in intrahepatic cholangio carcinomas (ICCs). Methods: Forty-two liver samples were obrained from ICC patients (32 males and 10 females) during surgical resection in Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital. The ICC tissue samples and the adjacent tissue samples were paraffin-embedded and fresh ice-frozen. A methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) was used for analyzing the methylation of CDH1 gene; E-cadherin protein and mRNA expression was detected by immunohistochemical method and RT PCR analysis, respectively. Results: The methylation rate of CDHI was 28.6% in ICC patients. The expression of E-cadherin mRNA and protein was decreased in 64.3% and 69.1% of the samples, respectively. The methylation of CDH1 gene was correlated with the expression of E-cadherin protein and mRNA and metastasis of ICCs (P=0.008, P=0.031, and P=0.020, respectively), but not with the prognosis of ICC. The abnormal expression of E-cadherin was significantly correlated with the survival of patients (P=0.002). Conclusion: The methylation of CDH1 gene and down-regulation of E-cadherin are frequently seen in ICC patients, indicating that they may be closely related to the development and progression of ICCs.