title: Usefulness of the melanoma antigen gene (MAGE) in making the differential diagnosis between pleomorphic adenoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to examine the clinical usefulness of the melanoma antigen gene (MAGE) in making the differential diagnosis between pleomorphic adenoma (PA) and adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC). In addition, using real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), we examined which melanoma antigen gene was actually expressed in each tumour.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemical staining was performed on samples of paraffin-embedded tissue specimens. Fifty-eight patients were diagnosed as PA (n  =  31), ACC (n  =  17), and nontumoral salivary tissue (n  =  10) using MAGEA and MAGEA4. Using primers that could express MAGEA1, -A2, -A3, -A4, -A6, -A10, and -A12 subtypes, real-time RT-PCR was performed in three cases of PA and four cases of ACC that occurred in fresh tissues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found no immunohistochemical expression of MAGEA or MAGEA4 in the nontumoral tissue. There was a mild degree of expression with no statistical significance in cases of PA. In ACC, however, in 17 cases (100%) and 16 cases (95%), there was a positive reaction to MAGEA and MAGEA4, respectively. In the RT-PCR analysis, PA showed no MAGE gene expression. However, both MAGEA3 and MAGEA4 were expressed in ACC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that MAGE could be used as a biologic marker in the differential diagnosis between PA and ACC. Our results also indicate that the expression of MAGE, as confirmed in the RT-PCR analysis, could be used as an alternative method for the early diagnosis of salivary gland tumours.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University School of Medicine, Gwangju 501-759, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jun Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Nam Yong
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Do
authors.forename: Song Iy
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Sung-Chul
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lim
mesh_terms: D008949:Adenoma, Pleomorphic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C072013:MAGEA3 protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger