Salivary gland tumours: immunoexpression of integrins beta 1, beta 3 and beta 4.
BACKGROUND
Integrins, heterodimeric transmembranic adhesion molecules composed of alpha and beta subunits, have been implicated in normal and neoplastic biological processes. We investigated the patterns of expression of integrins subunits beta 1, beta 3 and beta 4 in neoplasms derived from the terminal segment of salivary glands in order to understand their expression patterns in the different structures of these tumours.


METHODS
Immunohistochemistry using 'catalized signal amplification' (CSA) detection system was applied to paraffin-embedded specimens of polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma and acinic cell carcinoma. Normal salivary glands were used as controls.


RESULTS
Immunoexpression of integrins showed that neoplastic structures of the tumours studied tend to mimic the patterns seen in the normal structures of salivary glands from which they are derived. Anaplastic cells were negative for all integrins.


CONCLUSIONS
This study revealed detailed topography of integrins in malignant tumours derived from intercalated acinar segment of salivary gland and this might be useful in the diagnosis of these lesions, especially of fine-needle aspiration (FNA) products or small specimens derived form incisional biopsies.
Loducca
S V L
SV
Immunopathology Laboratory, Tropical Medicine Institute of the University of São Paulo, Brazil. sloducca@hotmail.com
Mantesso
A
A
Kapas
S
S
Williams
D M
DM
Araújo
N S
NS
Araújo
V C
VC
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018267:Carcinoma, Acinar Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D039001:Integrin alpha Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D039641:Integrin beta Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
D039001:Integrin alpha Chains; D039641:Integrin beta Chains