Prevalence of CD56 /NCAM molecule in nervous system immune system and endocrine glands - accidental coincidence?

Abstract

The authors presented advances in the research on isoform of neural cell adhesion molecule CD56/NCAM, which appears to raise interest not only in biology, but also in clinical medicine. Molecular aspects of its synthesis have been presented and universal features of this protein have been underlined. It appears to play an important role in body homeostasis and especially in the interactions between neural, immune and endocrine systems. In relation to the immune system there are data suggesting significance of local protective and regulatory mechanisms in the liver linked to so called NKT (CD56+) cells. Main sites of prevalence of CD56/NCAM have been indicated both in physiology and pathology, especially in malignancy. CD56/NCAM incidence is common in tumors of neuroectodermal and endocrine origin. Besides it may be expressed on cells of several hemopoetic neoplasms originated both, from lymphoid and myeloid lineage. Moreover, the attention was paid to CD56/NCAM expression in atypical sites as for example on epithelia of bile ducts in children with extrahepatic biliary atresia and on cells of pancreatic ducts in the course of chronic pancreatitis.