title: Apoptosis and apoptotic-related factors in mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the oral minor salivary glands.
abstract: The oncoproteins Bcl-2 and Bax, the tumor suppressor gene product p53, TUNEL (TdT [terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase] dUTP nick end-labeling) and the cell-cycle antigen Ki-67 were studied in 71 cases of mucoepidermoid carcinoma originating in the oral minor salivary glands. Grade I tumors had higher expression of Bcl-2 than Grade II and III tumors (chi2 test, 0.01<P<0.025) and the Bcl-2-positive group had a higher survival rate than the Bcl-2-negative group (generalized Wilcoxon, P = 0.00051). Patients with strong TUNEL positivity had a higher survival rate than those with either weak positivity or negativity (generalized Wilcoxon, P = 0.047). The expression of p53 and TUNEL had a positive correlation (P = 0.0315). Grade II and III tumors had a higher frequency of positive Ki-67 expression than Grade I tumors (chi2 test, 0.01<P<0.025) and patients with Ki-67-negative tumors had better survival than patients with Ki-67-positive tumors (generalized Wilcoxon, P = 0.000099). This study showed that Bcl-2 proteins, p53 protein, TUNEL and Ki-67 are potentially useful prognostic markers for survival in patients with mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the oral minor salivary glands.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology and; Clinical Laboratory, Faculty of Dentistry, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takagi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017209:Apoptosis; D018277:Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D012470:Salivary Glands, Minor / Q000473:pathology*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
chemical_list: C494826:BAX protein, human; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein