Clinical Significance of Altered Expression of β-Catenin and E-Cadherin in Oral Dysplasia and Cancer: Potential Link with ALCAM Expression

Abstract

Losses of E-cadherin and β-catenin expressions are early events in oral tumorigenesis; their associations with aggressive tumor behavior and disease recurrence underscore their potential as prognostic markers. Correlation of loss of E-cadherin and β-catenin with cytoplasmic ALCAM accumulation both in vitro and in in vivo suggests that these dynamic changes in cell adhesion system may play pivotal role in oral cancer.