DOMINANT ROLE OF E-CADHERIN IN THE PROGRESSION OF BLADDER CANCER

AbstractPurpose: To elucidate factors with a role in the progression of bladder cancer.Materials and Methods: One invasive (T24) and two superficial (RT4 and KK47) human bladder cancer cell lines, which express metastasis-related genes, were used. Cells were intravenously inoculated into chick embryos to evaluate metastatic potential to the liver. An orthotopic model with severe combined immunodeficiency mice was also used to investigate both histological appearance and changes in metastasis-related gene expression. Finally, gene expression patterns in a clinical setting were compared between superficial and invasive bladder cancers.Results: In culture condition metastasis-related genes, including matrix metalloproteinases, urokinase-type plasminogen activator, and integrins alpha 2 and alpha 3 were continually expressed in T24 but only slightly or not at all in RT4 and KK47, respectively. The expression pattern of the metastasis-related genes in vitro reflected the characteristics of the original tumors....