Rare expression of the c-erbB-2 oncoprotein in salivary gland tumors: an immunohistochemical study.
An immunohistochemical study of c-erbB-2 oncoprotein expression was carried out on 201 cases of primary salivary gland tumors, using a polyclonal antibody, raised to the intracytoplasmic domain of the c-erbB-2 oncogene product. An intense membrane reactivity was observed in one case of sialocarcinoma transformed from pleomorphic adenoma (n = 8) and one case of mucoepidermoid carcinoma (n = 22). A comparative histopathologic evaluation of c-erbB-2 positive tumors showed marked variation in cell size, nuclear pleomorphism, multinucleation, a high mitotic rate and increased lymphoid cell infiltration and an aggressive clinical course with poor survival. The results indicate that c-erbB-2 oncoprotein is rarely expressed in malignant salivary gland tumors. However, the overexpression appears to have a distinct histopathologic feature, but a larger study incorporating histopathology and clinical data would be necessary to correlate the significance of c-erbB-2 oncogene product in salivary malignant tumors.
Shrestha
P
P
Departments of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Asahi University School of Dentistry, Gifu, Japan.
Huang
J W
JW
Tsuji
T
T
Shinozaki
F
F
Maeda
K
K
Sasaki
K
K
Ueno
K
K
Yamada
K
K
Mori
M
M
D000235:Adenolymphoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008949:Adenoma, Pleomorphic / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes / Q000235:genetics*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics*; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000648:ultrastructure
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface