Distinct subcellular localization of E-cadherin between epithelioid angiomyolipoma and triphasic angiomyolipoma: A preliminary case-control study.

Epithelioid angiomyolipoma (EAML) is a rare variant of angiomyolipoma (AML). Previous studies have demonstrated that epithelial (E‑)cadherin is expressed in two subtypes of AML, EAML and triphasic AML; however, the expression pattern of E‑cadherin remains unclear. In the present study, a preliminary case‑control study was conducted to determine the expression pattern of E‑cadherin between EAML and triphasic AML, the control, focusing on the subcellular localization and expression category of E‑cadherin. No significant difference was identified in the age, sex, history of tuberous sclerosis, smoking and alcohol consumption between the two groups (P>0.05). In EAML, 9 patients were categorized as exhibiting a low risk of malignant behavior and the other two were categorized as exhibiting an intermediate or high risk of malignant behavior. The proportion of cases expressing E‑cadherin, human melanoma black‑45 (HMB45), melanoma antigen recognized by T cells 1 (Mart1/Melan A), smooth muscle actin and progesterone receptor were 95.5 (21/22), 95.5 (21/22), 86.4 (19/22), 77.3 (17/22) and 86.4% (19/22), respectively. E‑cadherin was identified to be localized, using staining techniques, in the cell membrane and/or cytoplasm. The subcellular localization of E‑cadherin was significantly different between EAML and triphasic AML; the majority of EAML cases revealed membranous and cytoplasmic staining, whereas triphasic AML cases demonstrated cytoplasmic staining (P=0.0093). The expression of E‑cadherin may be positively associated with HMB45 (P=0.0044) and Mart1/Melan A (P=0.0049). The results of the present study identified that the subcellular localization of E‑cadherin may be different between EAML and the control group of triphasic AML. Additionally, E‑cadherin and melanocytic markers may be co‑expressed in distinct subtypes of AML. A follow‑up study with a large sample size to validate the results of the present study, followed by a mechanistic study based on cell lines to determine any significance, are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]