Expression of E-cadherin and β-catenin in two cholangiocarcinoma cell lines (OZ and HuCCT1) with different degree of invasiveness of the primary tumor.

Background: Cholangiocarcinoma (CC) is the most frequent malignant epithelial tumor of the biliary system. CC has received increasing interest due to its different etiologic factors, invasiveness, and the difficulty of diagnosis at an early stage. The pathogenesis of CC has not been clearly defined, but cohesiveness of tumor cells seems to be a critical factor.