OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the relationship of two proteins, which take part in the same mechanism of cell adhesion, with the cell differentiation degree and TNM staging I and IV in colorectal cancer. METHODS: One-hundred patients (54 men and 46 women), who have received treatment for colorectal cancer, stages I (44) and IV (56), have been studied. Histological cuts of tumor tissue were examined by the immunohistochemical technique as to the expression of E-cadherin and delect in colon cancer (DCC) proteins, being classified as positive whenever it was detected immunoexpression of such proteins in 50% or more tumor cells. RESULTS: For TNM, E-cadherin immunoexpression for stage I: positive in 72.7% and negative in 35.7%; stage IV: positive in 64.3% and negative in 35.7%. For DCC protein: 43.2% positive and 56.8% negative in stage I, and 50% positive and 50% negative in stage IV. Regarding the cell differentiation degree, the immunoexpression of E-cadherin - GI: positive in 70% and negative in 30%; GII: positive in 68.4% and negative in 31.6%; GIII: positive in 63.6% and negative in 36.4%. The immunoexpression of DCC - GI: 40% positive and 60% negative; GII: 46.8% positive and 53.2% negative; GIII: 54.5% positive and 45.5% negative. There was no significant difference among groups. CONCLUSION: The results of this research make it possible to come to the conclusion that there is no relationship between the immunoexpression of E-cadherin and DCC proteins with TNM staging (I and IV) and cell differentiation degree in colorectal cancer.
E-cadherin; DCC; Colon neoplasia; Colon; Rectum
