Neural cell adhesion molecule in breast, colon and lung carcinomas.

Abstract

Neural cell adhesion molecules (NCAM) play an important role in embryogenesis and in some tumors, especially of neuroectodermal origin. In this study, 18 cases of invasive breast carcinoma, 7 cases of sigmoid colon carcinomas and 17 cases of the non-small-cell lung carcinoma were immunostained for NCAM. NCAM expression, usually focal, was observed in some cases only. NCAM was expressed in the membranes, in a fine granular pattern. In 3 cases of breast cancer cytoplasmic localisation of NCAM was also observed, which may suggest its cytoplasmic formation. Furthermore, in 3 cases expression of NCAM in histologically normal ductal lobular units adjacent to invasive breast cancers without the presence of this antigen in cancer tissue was observed. The immunostaining was weak or absent in sigmoid colon carcinomas. In this study we confirm the observation of some authors that NCAM expression occurs in some cases of non-small-cell lung carcinomas.