Study of association between expression of E-cadherin and Autocrine Motility Factor in different grades of Colorectal adenocarcinoma

Though incidence of Colorectal carcinoma is relatively less in consideration of world wide data, Indian scenario differs in higher incidence of Grade 3 carcinoma with signet ring cell component. We tried to find association between intercellular adhesion and propagation of cancer cell in Adenocarcinoma of Colorectal region. E-cadherin (ECAD) is the strongest intercellular adhesion molecule of epithelial cells and Autocrine Motility Factor (AMFR) is known propagator of cancer cell. We studied simultaneous immunohistochemical expression of these two molecules in 92 already diagnosed cases that were treated surgically by Colectomy or Abdomino Pelvic Resection. Normal Colorectal mucosa reacted strongly with ECAD and weakly with AMFR. With increasing dedifferentiation of the tumor, reversal manifested- more aggressive grades showed varied expression in comparison to its less aggressive type. Gastric 3 adenocarcinoma show weak ECAD (83% vs. 35%) and more AMFR (93% vs. 35%) expression in comparison to Grade 1. Weak ECAD and strong AMFR was also associated with increase in depth of tumor invasion. As ECAD and AMFR is at least partially responsible for varying histologic grade and behavioral pattern of colorectal adenocarcinoma, simultaneous evaluation of both parameters is helpful to understand pathway of progression of such cancer cell.