Abstract: Objective To elucidate the expression pattern of E-cadherin/catenin adhesion complex and its association with clinicopathologic features in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).Methods Fifty-two non-keratinizing NPC specimens with adjacent non-neoplastic mucosa were examined immunohistochemically for E-cadherin ,β-catenin,α-catenin.Results Abnormal expression rates of E-cadherin ,β-catenin and α-catenin in NPCs were 48.1%(25/52),32.7%(17/52) and 34.6%(18/52), respectively,whereas all adjacent non-neoplastic tissues normally expressed these three proteins.Difference of expression of E-cadherin ,β-catenin and α-catenin between tumor tissues and non-cancerous tissues was statistically significant( P<0.01) . There were possitive correlations between the expression of E-cad and α-cat ,β-cat and α-cat ,E-cad and β-cat ,respectively. Level of serum anti-Epstain-Barr Virus Viral Capsid Antigen IgA(VCA-IgA) titers in NPCs with normal α-catenin expression was significantly higher than that in NPCs with abnormal α-catenin expression (P=0.008) . No other correlation between expression pattern of the complex and clinicopathologic features was elicited.Conclusion Abnormal expression of E-cadherin/β-catenin/α-catenin complex features largely in non-keratinizing carcinoma of nasopharynx,there are possitive correlations among the expression of E-cadherin,β-catenin and α-catenin.Downregulation of E-cadherin/β-catenin/α-catenin adhesion complex does not necessarily favore advanced disease stage or lymph node metastasis in NPC.

Key words: nasopharyngeal neoplasms, E-cadherin, beta-catenin, alpha-catenin, immunohistochemistry