title: P53 and Ki-67 antigen expression in small oral biopsy specimens of salivary gland tumors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the possibility that various salivary gland tumors that look histologically similar could express p53 oncoprotein and Ki-67 proliferation antigen differentially and possibly aid in distinguishing benign from malignant lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Intraoral paraffin-embedded biopsy specimens of salivary gland tumors were used. Thirty-eight pleomorphic adenomas, 17 adenoid cystic carcinomas, 23 monomorphic adenomas, and 17 polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinomas were stained with p53 and Ki-67 antibodies by using an immunoperoxidase detection system. Each case was evaluated in terms of staining intensity and percentage of cells staining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ki-67 and p53 antigens are expressed in generally low levels in the histologically well-differentiated salivary tumors that were studied here, both benign and malignant. Only 1 solid-type adenoid cystic carcinoma showed a high percentage of cells expressing p53.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The histologically well-differentiated salivary tumors studied do not show differential expression of p53 and Ki-67, in spite of their differing courses of biologic behavior. These antibodies should not be relied on to distinguish benign from malignant lesions of the salivary glands; however, they might be markers for those lesions that are dedifferentiating histologically and, therefore, might be displaying more aggressive behavior.
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Wisconsin, Department of Surgical Pathology, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lazzaro
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cleveland
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000276:immunology; D008949:Adenoma, Pleomorphic / Q000276:immunology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000276:immunology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000276:immunology; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000276:immunology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000032:analysis*; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology*; D012470:Salivary Glands, Minor / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53