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Background: Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is known to induce scattering in various epithelial cells, and E-cadherin plays important roles in the maintenance of cell-cell adhesion. However, the mechanisms surrounding these actions are not fully understood. Therefore, we examined how HGF affects the expression and distribution of E-cadherin. In addition, we observed the relationship between prognosis and modulation of E-cadherin by HGF in hypopharyngeal carcinoma.Methods: Tumor tissues from 66 patients with hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma were evaluated for the expression of HGF, its receptor (c-Met), and E-cadherin. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot test were performed on hypopharyngeal cancer tissues. The association and changes of E-cadherin with HGF treatment in a hypopharyngeal cancer cell line were investigated by RT-PCR, Western blot analysis, inhibition assay, immunofluorescence staining, and invasion assay.Results: E-cadherin expression was found in 87.9% of squamous cell carcinomas; these could be further classified as membranous type (46.9%) or nonmembranous type (53.1%). The expression of HGF in tumors with nonmembranous type E-cadherin expression was far higher than in tumors with membranous expression. Nonmembranous type E-cadherin expression correlated significantly with lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and recurrence (P < .05). HGF decreased the expression of E-cadherin and induced the translocation of Ecadherin to the cytoplasm. HGF and E-cadherin neutralizing antibody stimulated dispersion, and HGF significantly enhanced the invasion of hypopharyngeal cancer cells in a dosedependent manner (P < .05).Conclusions: These results suggest that HGF can modulate the expression and intracellular localization of E-cadherin in hypopharyngeal cancer cells. In addition, these results indicate that changes in E-cadherin by HGF can affect the prognosis of hypopharyngeal carcinoma.

The maxillary sinus was the most commonly involved sinus, followed by the ethmoid, sphenoid, and frontal sinuses. There was no relationship between age and severity of sinusitis. Agger nasi cell was the most common anatomical variation, followed by septal deviation, Haller cell, concha bullosa, paradoxical middle turbinate, and Onodi cell. The prevalence of septal deviation increased with age. There was no significant relationship between the sinusitis and anatomic variations.

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We recommend an electrical stimulation of 0.7 mA for the first screening and 0.4 mA for the second exploration in order to define the facial nerve using intraoperative NIM-2 monitoring in middle ear and mastoid surgeries.