The Expression Of EMT Marker Snail And E-cadherin In Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma

Background:Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(ICC) is the second most common primary hepatic malignant tumor with a high degree of malignancy and poor prognosis. The underlying mechanism of progression and metastasis remains unclear. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT) is a process in which epithelial cells lose many of their characteristics and take on properties that are typical of mesenchymal cells. Numerous studies have demonstrated its critical role in the invasion of multiple epithelium derived malignant tumors, except for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. In the present study, we evaluated the expressions of two typical EMT markers Snail and E-cadherin as well as their clinical characteristics and aimed to investigate whether EMT promotes cancer progression in ICC.Methods:A total of thirty-two patients with confirmed ICC diagnosis were enrolled in the present study. We examined the expressions of Snail and E-cadherin by immunehistochemistry in resected specimens from ICC patients, and the associations with clinicopathological factors.Results:Snail expression significantly increased in ICC(P<0.001), especially in those with metastasis(P=0.024) and was correlated with lymph node metastasis(P=0.036). E-cadherin expression significantly decreased in ICC(P=0.016). The expression of these two markers had no statistical correlation.Conclusion:EMT is involved in the mechanisms of invasion and metastasis in ICC, and Snail may be an important biomarker for ICC.