Purpose: Epithelial mesenchymal transition consists in the acquisition of neoplastic epithelial cells of a mesenchymal phenotype the process being involved in cancers invasion and metastasis. In this study were analyzed the expression of N-cadherin, Twist and Vimentin in bladder urothelial carcinomas according to the main prognostic parameters.
Material/methods: The study included 20 bladder urothelial carcinomas which were analyzed histopathological, immunohistochemical and statistical.
Results: N-cadherin was identified in 45% of cases, which belonged to high-grade carcinomas with deep invasion and lymph node metastases. Twist immunoreaction was identified in all cases and was significantly increased in advanced stages carcinomas. Vimentin was present only in the advancing edge in 25% of cases, which belonged to highly invasive carcinomas. Urothelial carcinoma metastases were N-cadherin and Twist and Vimentin negative. We found a linear positive distribution of N-cadherin and Twist values.
Conclusion: the used markers are useful for identifying aggressive urothelial carcinomas in the context of reciprocal stimulation mechanisms inside of urothelial epithelial-mesenchymal transition process.
Keywords: epithelial-mesenchymal transition; urothelial carcinoma.