PURPOSE: Plakoglobin is thought to play a key role in cadherin-mediated epithelial cell adhesion, because it is a common component of desmosomal and nondesmosomal adherens junctions. Because loss of homotypic cell adhesion is an important early step in invasion and @entity3 of solid @entity5 , we evaluated the frequency and prognostic significance of a deficient expression of plakoglobin in @entity1 @entity2 . @entity1 AND METHODS: At primary surgery, representative specimens of the @entity5 were obtained from 96 consecutive @entity1 with completely resected @entity1149 ( @entity1149 ) without overt distant @entity3 . Cryostat sections of these specimens and metastatic lymph nodes were stained with monoclonal antibody (mAb) PG 5.1 against plakoglobin, using an immunoperoxidase technique. @entity1 were monitored for a median of 39 months (range, 12 to 56) after surgery. RESULTS: Absent or severely reduced expression of plakoglobin (ie, < 30% positive @entity5 cells) was observed in 39 @entity1 (40.6%). There was no significant correlation to established risk factors, such as the histology, extension, and histologic grade of the @entity5 and metastatic lymph node involvement, or expression of @entity19207 . Expression of plakoglobin in lymph node @entity3 ranged from 0% to greater than 60% positive @entity5 cells. Deficient plakoglobin expression on the @entity5 was significantly correlated to a shortened disease-free and overall survival in @entity1 with @entity420 , pT1-2 @entity5 , or negative lymph nodes (pN0). In @entity1 with pT1-2 @entity5 , the independence of this prognostic influence from established risk factors was demonstrated by Cox regression analyses (disease-free survival, P = .002; overall survival, P = .038). CONCLUSION: Deficient expression of plakoglobin appears to be an important event in the progression of @entity1149 .

Reduced expression of plakoglobin indicates an unfavorable prognosis in subsets of XXXX with @entity1149 .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['Patients', 'human', 'patients', 'PATIENTS'] @entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['tumor', 'primary tumor', 'tumors'] @entity2 :: ('MESH:D008175', 'Disease') :: ['lung cancer'] @entity1149 :: ('MESH:D002289', 'Disease') :: ['NSCLC', 'non-small-cell lung carcinoma'] @entity19207 :: ('1495', 'Gene') :: ['alpha-catenin'] @entity3 :: ('MESH:D009362', 'Disease') :: ['metastasis', 'metastases'] @entity420 :: ('MESH:D000230', 'Disease') :: ['adenocarcinomas']
@entity1 :: (9606,Species) :: ['patients']
