Clinical and molecular features of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphomas of salivary glands.
BACKGROUND
To analyze clinical features and to discuss the modality of investigation and treatment of a series of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphomas. To investigate the prevalence of aberrant promoter methylation, responsible for gene inactivation, in a selected panel of genes potentially involved in the pathogenesis of B-cell malignancies as O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT), p73, death-associated protein kinase (DAP-k).


METHODS
Nine patients with primary MALT lymphoma of the salivary glands were retrospectively reviewed. MGMT, p73, DAP-k apoptotic pathways were tested.


RESULTS
Methylation of DAP-k was common (5/8; 63%). Histological examination ensured diagnostic confirmation, whereas fine-needle aspiration cytology was not definitively diagnostic.


CONCLUSIONS
Histological assessment is the gold standard in the diagnosis of salivary gland lesions. Parotidectomy represents a safe and reliable diagnostic tool leading to a definite diagnosis of MALT lymphomas in all cases and curative without other treatment in early-stage MALT lymphoma.
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Amedeo Avogadro University of Eastern Piedmont and Ospedale Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy. andreatoso@hotmail.com
Andrea
A
Toso
Paolo
P
Aluffi
Daniela
D
Capello
Annarita
A
Conconi
Gianluca
G
Gaidano
Francesco
F
Pia
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D019175:DNA Methylation; D015254:DNA Modification Methylases / Q000235:genetics*; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000235:genetics; D045643:DNA Repair Enzymes / Q000235:genetics*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D064550:Death-Associated Protein Kinases; D005260:Female; D020868:Gene Silencing; D006801:Humans; D018442:Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D000072160:Tumor Protein p73; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C000606460:TP73 protein, human; D000072160:Tumor Protein p73; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D015254:DNA Modification Methylases; C515491:MGMT protein, human; D064550:Death-Associated Protein Kinases; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D045643:DNA Repair Enzymes