title: Salivary agglutinin/DMBT1SAG expression is up-regulated in the presence of salivary gland tumors.
abstract: Salivary agglutinin (SAG) is encoded by the gene Deleted in Malignant Brain Tumors 1 (DMBT1) and represents the salivary variant of DMBT1 (DMBT1(SAG)). While SAG is a bona fide anti-caries factor, DMBT1 was proposed as a candidate tumor-suppressor for brain, digestive tract, and lung cancer. Though DMBT1(SAG) is expressed in the salivary glands, its expression in salivary gland tumors is unknown. Here we analyzed DMBT1(SAG) expression in 20 salivary gland tumors and 14 tumor-flanking tissues by immunohistochemistry. DMBT1(SAG) in salivary gland tumors resembles the changes of expression levels known from DMBT1 in tumors in other cancer types. Particularly, DMBT1(SAG) was up-regulated in 10/14 tumor-flanking tissues, and a strong staining of the luminal content in the tumor and/or the tumor-flanking tissue was observed in 14/20 cases. This suggests that, in addition to its role in caries defense, SAG may serve as a potential tumor indicator and/or tumor suppressor in salivary gland tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Basic Sciences, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Bikker
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: van der Wal
authors.forename: A J M
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Ligtenberg
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mollenhauer
authors.forename: J M A
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: de Blieck-Hogervorst
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: van der Waal
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Poustka
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Nieuw Amerongen
mesh_terms: D000373:Agglutinins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001706:Biopsy; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000378:metabolism*; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D000373:Agglutinins; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; C108174:DMBT1 protein, human; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; C116303:glycoprotein 340