Loss of extracellular E-cadherin in the normal mucosa of duodenum and colon of patients with familial adenomatous polyposis

The duodenum is the main site for (pre-) malignant extracolonic manifestations in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). Changes in the E-cadherin/ β-catenin complex play a pivotal role in the development of malignancies. Loss of E-cadherin has been described in association with loss of SMAD4. To elucidate the pathways leading to the development of duodenal adenomas in patients with FAP, the distributions of E-cadherin, SMAD4, and β-catenin were analyzed. Furthermore, differences between the duodenum and colon were evaluated. Normal FAP duodenum (n = 13) and FAP duodenal adenomas (n = 50; total, 21 patients) were compared with non-FAP duodenal adenomas (n = 7) and normal non-FAP duodenum (n = 15) by immunohistochemical staining for extracellular and intracellular E-cadherin, β-catenin, and SMAD4. Colonic biopsies of 10 patients with FAP were also studied, as well as non-FAP colonic adenomas (n = 26) and non-FAP normal colon (n = 12). Compared with the intracellular component of E-cadherin that was present in all cases, a significant loss of extracellular E-cadherin was observed in both duodenal and colonic adenomas and normal tissue of patients with FAP. Nuclear localization of β-catenin was more often observed in duodenal FAP adenomas compared with non-FAP adenomas. Loss of nuclear SMAD4 was seen in the duodenum and, to a higher degree, in the colon of patients with FAP, as well as non-FAP patients. The loss of extracellular E-cadherin in the normal duodenal and colonic mucosa of patients with FAP might play a role in the high susceptibility of these tissues for (pre-) malignant transformation.