title: Prognostic value of apoptosis and apoptosis-associated proteins in salivary gland adenoid cystic carcinoma.
abstract: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the level of apoptosis and expressions of p53, mdm2 and bcl-2 proteins in salivary gland adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) to determine potential relationships among apoptosis, apoptosis-associated proteins and clinical cumulative survival. Thirty-nine formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded cases, cribriform (17), tubular (13) and solid (9), were studied by immunohistochemistry. Apoptosis detection and analysis were determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick-end labeling (TUNEL). There was an inverse significance between the apoptotic index (AI) and bcl-2 expression (P = 0.018), whereas no correlation was found between the AI and either p53 or mdm2 expression (P = 0.416 and P = 0.456). Co-expression of p53 and mdm2 was found in 22 cases (P = 0.037). Patients with p53-positive tumors had a worse prognosis than those with p53-negative tumors (P = 0.014). Patients with a high AI had a better cumulative survival than patients with a low AI (P = 0.038). The present study suggests that p53 expression and AI can be useful as prognostic values; bcl-2 protein plays a role in the down-regulation of apoptosis and is also potentially useful as a prognostic parameter in salivary gland ACC.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Pathology, Department of Oral Restitution, Division of Oral Health Sciences, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan. linjia73@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Renelson L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Esguerra
authors.forename: Xiaofei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Hongfang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Norihiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takagi
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011379:Prognosis; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D051736:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; C497206:MDM2 protein, human; D051736:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2