title: c-erbB-2 oncogene expression in salivary gland tumours.
abstract: Prompted by recent findings on the amplification of c-erbB-2 (HER-2, neu) oncogene in salivary gland tumours, the present study was conducted to analyse the expression of c-erbB-2 in both benign and malignant salivary gland tumours, with special emphasis on its prognostic significance and relevance to clinical data. A series of 219 salivary gland tumours (with pertinent clinical data), including 103 malignant and 116 benign tumours, were analysed immunohistochemically using a monoclonal antibody to c-erbB-2 protein. Smoking was not a risk factor for malignant tumours, smokers being equally represented in both groups: 18.4 and 21.6% in malignant and benign series, respectively. Multi-variate analysis of the extensive clinical data did not disclose any other risk factors either. Cellular membrane staining for c-erbB-2 was present in 36 (35.0%) carcinomas and 41 (35.3%) benign tumours. Among the malignant tumours, c-erbB-2 expression was most frequent in adenoid cystic carcinomas (57.7%) followed by adenocarcinomas (39.3%). Among the benign tumours, 47% of Warthin's tumours and 33.3% of the pleomorphic adenomas showed staining for c-erbB-2. The highest prevalence of c-erbB-2 immunoreactivity was seen in adenocarcinomas of the parotid gland (81.8%), followed by undifferentiated carcinomas (75%) and adenoid cystic carcinomas (73.3%) in that location. Age at diagnosis, number of recurrences, analysis as well as time to relapse or metastases were similar in c-erbB-2-positive and -negative malignant tumours. Also mortality in c-erbB-2-positive and -negative salivary gland cancers was similar.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kärjä
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Syrjänen
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kataja
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Syrjänen
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000737:chemistry; D000235:Adenolymphoma / Q000737:chemistry; D008949:Adenoma, Pleomorphic / Q000737:chemistry; D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000737:chemistry; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000737:chemistry; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D066246:ErbB Receptors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases