title: Application of alpha-smooth muscle actin and c-kit in the differential diagnosis of adenoid cystic carcinoma from polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma.
abstract: The expression of vimentin, alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and c-kit in adenoid cystic carcinomas (AdCCs) and polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinomas (PLGAs) was investigated immunohistochemically to evaluate the application of these markers to distinguish AdCCs from PLGAs when the histological features are equivocal. Tissue specimens of AdCCs and of PLGAs, formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded were retrospectively studied using vimentin, alpha-SMA and c-kit. Positive staining for alpha-SMA was identified in all AdCCs and 25% of PLGAs. The immunoreactivity of c-kit in all positive cases of AdCCs (83%) and PLGAs (41%) was more than 50% and less than 50% of tumor cells respectively. The expression pattern for both alpha-SMA and c-kit, in tubular structures of AdCCs was different of that seen in the same structures in PLGAs. The results of this study support the potential application of alpha-SMA and c-kit as an adjunctive aid in the differential diagnosis of AdCCs from PLGAs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki 51124, Greece.
authors.forename: Apostolos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Epivatianos
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Poulopoulos
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dimitrakopoulos
authors.forename: Demetrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Andreadis
authors.forename: Alexandros
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nomikos
authors.forename: Stammatia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vlahou
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Papazoglou
authors.forename: Calypso
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barbatis
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000032:analysis*; D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000032:analysis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014746:Vimentin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; C470306:Smooth muscle protein, human; D014746:Vimentin; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit