Abstract:

Objective To investigate the expression and clinical significance of epithelial-mesenchymal transition factor of Twist and related adhesion molecules E-cadherin and N-cadherin in human cervical squamous cell carcinoma, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and normal cervical tissues. Methods The expression of Twist, E-cadherin and N-cadherin protein in 61 samples of cervical cancer, 22 samples of CINⅠ, 44 samples of CINⅡ-Ⅲ and 22 samples of normal cervical tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry, and its relationship with clinical biological behaviors of cervical squamous cell carcinoma was explored. Results The positive expression rate of Twist protein in normal cervical tissues (0%) was significantly different from those of CINⅠ tissues (40.90%), CINⅡ-Ⅲ tissues (68.18%) and cervical squamous cell carcinoma tissues (70.49%)(P<0.05 for all). The positive expression rate of E-cadherin protein in normal cervical tissues (90.91%) was significantly higher than those in CINⅡ-Ⅲ tissues (54.55%) and cervical squamous cell carcinoma tissues (14.75%)(P<0.05 for both). The positive expression rate of N-cadherin protein in cervical squamous cell carcinoma tissues (90.16%) was significantly higher than those in normal cervical tissues (27.27%), CIN I tissues (50.00%) and CINⅡ-Ⅲ tissues (68.18%)(P<0.05 for all). In 61 samples of  cervical squamous cell carcinoma tissues, the expression of Twist protein was negatively related to that of E-cadherin protein (r=-0.339, P<0.01), while the expression of Twist protein was positively related to that of N-cadherin protein (r=0.390，P<0.01). In 61 samples of cervical squamous cell carcinoma tissues, there was no significant difference in the positive expression rates of Twist, E-cadherin and N-cadherin protein among different stages by International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO)(P>0.05 for all), and there was also no significant difference in the positive expression rates of Twist, E-cadherin and N-cadherin protein between tissues with lymphovascular space invasion and those without lymphovascular space invasion (P>0.05 for all). The positive expression rate of Twist protein in well-differentiated and moderately-differentiated cervical squamous cell carcinoma tissues (60.47%) was significantly lower than that in poorlydifferentiated and undifferentiated tissues (94.44%)(P<0.05), and the positive expression rate of Twist protein in cervical squamous cell carcinoma tissues without lymph node metastasis (62.22%) was significantly lower than that in cervical squamous cell carcinoma tissues with lymph node metastasis (93.75%)(P<0.05). Conclusion Twist is well expressed in cervical squamous cell carcinoma, and is related to tumor differentiation and lymph node metastasis. The abnormal expression of Twist, E-cadherin and N-cadherin may participate in the invasion and metastasis of cervical squamous cell carcinoma.

Key words: Twist, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, cervical squamous cell carcinoma, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, immunohistochemistry