Immunoexpression of E-cadherin, β-catenin and Ezrin in non-small cell lung carcinomas

Lung cancer continues to have the highest mortality rate in the world, non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) representing the most common tumor form. The therapeutic interference of the tumor intercellular adhesion disruption mechanisms can provide therapeutic targets to improve the patients' prognosis. The study included 52 cases diagnosed with NSCLC, for which the immunohistochemical expressions of E-cadherin, β-catenin and Ezrin were analyzed in relation to the epidemiological and histological prognostic parameters. The histopathological analysis indicated the predominance of high-grade acinar adenocarcinoma (ADK) and non-keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), with frequent vascular invasion and in stages II-IV. Final staining scores (FSS) of E-cadherin were superior in the case of acinar, lepidic and papillary ADK, with a high degree of differentiation, without vascular invasion and in initial tumor stages. The same aspect was also observed in the case of β-catenin reactions, which were present only at the membrane level, increased FSS being also present in the case of mucinous carcinomas. The membrane/cytoplasmic immunoexpression of Ezrin was superior in the case of cribriform, solid, micropapillary, lepidic and non-keratinized squamous carcinomas, with vascular invasion and in advanced tumor stages. Membrane reactions of Ezrin prevailed only in the case of acinar, lepidic and papillary ADK. The negative linear correlation of E-cadherin and β-catenin with Ezrin and the relationships of the markers with the histological parameters of NSCLC indicate their utility potential for the identification of aggressive malignant lung tumors.