Downregulation of P-cadherin expression in hepatocellular carcinoma induces tumorigenicity

P-cadherin is a major contributor to cell-cell adhesion in epithelial tissues, playing pivotal roles in important morphogenetic and differentiation processes and in maintaining hepatic integrity and homeostasis. Alterations of the expression of this molecules have been observed during the progression of several carcinomas. The aim of this study was to assess P-cadherin expression and its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Material and Methods: Quantitative PCR analysis revealed a significant downregulation of P-cadherin mRNA in 4 human HCC cell lines compared to primary human hepatocytes. Immunohistochemica…