Soluble forms of the adhesion molecule E-cadherin in urine.

R E Banks, W H Porter, P Whelan, P H Smith, P J Selby

ICRF Cancer Medicine Research Unit, St James's University Hospital, Leeds.

The adhesion molecule E-cadherin is essential for maintaining epithelial intercellular adhesion. Loss or reduced expression of E-cadherin has been related to invasive behaviour in a wide range of carcinomas. Using immunoblotting techniques, the existence of multiple soluble forms of E-cadherin was demonstrated in urine from healthy volunteers and patients with benign urinary tract disorders or bladder cancer. The existence of soluble forms of E-cadherin in the urine may reflect shedding from the urinary tract epithelium as part of the normal turnover of this molecule. The possibility that enhanced shedding may contribute to the loss of E-cadherin expression/function in malignancy is discussed.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Marin-Briggiler, C.I., Veiga, M.F., Matos, M.L., Gonzalez Echeverria, M.F., Furlong, L.I., Vazquez-Levin, M.H. (2008). Expression of epithelial cadherin in the human male reproductive tract and gametes and evidence of its participation in fertilization. Mol Hum Reprod 14: 561-571 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Kuefer, R., Hofer, M. D., Gschwend, J. E., Pienta, K. J., Sanda, M. G., Chinnaiyan, A. M., Rubin, M. A., Day, M. L. (2003). The Role of an 80 kDa Fragment of E-cadherin in the Metastatic Progression of Prostate Cancer. Clin. Cancer Res. 9: 6447-6452 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Rhodes, D. R., Sanda, M. G., Otte, A. P., Chinnaiyan, A. M., Rubin, M. A. (2003). Multiplex Biomarker Approach for Determining Risk of Prostate-Specific Antigen-Defined Recurrence of Prostate Cancer. JNCI J Natl Cancer Inst 95: 661-668 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Davies, G., Jiang, W. G., Mason, M. D. (2001). Matrilysin Mediates Extracellular Cleavage of E-Cadherin from Prostate Cancer Cells: A Key Mechanism in Hepatocyte Growth Factor/Scatter Factor-induced Cell-Cell Dissociation and in Vitro Invasion. Clin. Cancer Res. 7: 3289-3297 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Vlahou, A., Schellhammer, P. F., Mendrinos, S., Patel, K., Kondylis, F. I., Gong, L., Nasim, S., Wright, G. L. Jr. (2001). Development of a Novel Proteomic Approach for the Detection of Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Bladder in Urine. Am. J. Pathol. 158: 1491-1502 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Noe, V, Fingleton, B, Jacobs, K, Crawford, H., Vermeulen, S, Steelant, W, Bruyneel, E, Matrisian, L., Mareel, M (2001). Release of an invasion promoter E-cadherin fragment by matrilysin and stromelysin-1. J. Cell Sci. 114: 111-118 [Abstract]  
• Noe, V, Willems, J, Vandekerckhove, J, Roy, F., Bruyneel, E, Mareel, M (1999). Inhibition of adhesion and induction of epithelial cell invasion by HAV-containing E-cadherin-specific peptides. J. Cell Sci. 112: 127-135 [Abstract]  
• Steinhusen, U., Weiske, J., Badock, V., Tauber, R., Bommert, K., Huber, O. (2001). Cleavage and Shedding of E-cadherin after Induction of Apoptosis. J. Biol. Chem. 276: 4972-4980 [Abstract] [Full Text]