Levels of soluble E-cadherin in breast, gastric, and colorectal cancers

Biomed Res Int. 2014:2014:408047. doi: 10.1155/2014/408047. Epub 2014 Sep 16.

Abstract

Soluble E-cadherin is a 80 kDa protein fragment coming from the proteolytic cleavage of the extracellular domain of the full length epithelial cadherin, a molecule involved in cell adhesion/polarity and tissue morphogenesis. In comparison with normal epithelia, cancer cells show a decreased cadherin-mediated intercellular adhesion, and sE-cad levels normally increase in body fluids (blood and urine). This review focuses on soluble E-cadherin in sera of patients affected by three solid cancers (breast, gastric, and colorectal cancers) and how its levels correlate or not with some cancer parameters (e.g., dimension, progression, and localisation). We will describe the main proteomics approaches adopted to measure sE-cad both in vivo and in vitro and the most important findings about its behaviour in cancer dynamics.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Breast Neoplasms / blood
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Cadherins / biosynthesis*
  • Cadherins / blood
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / blood
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / pathology
  • Disease Progression
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Stomach Neoplasms / blood
  • Stomach Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Stomach Neoplasms / pathology

Substances

  • Cadherins