title: Bcl-2 protein expression in mucoepidermoid carcinoma of salivary glands: a single institution experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Mucoepidermoid carcinoma is the most common salivary gland tumor with varying behavior among different histopathological grades. The objective of this study was to determine the expression of Bcl-2 protein in mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) and to correlate with histological grades.
  
  
  METHODS
  The records of 40 cases of MEC were collected from the histopathology department. Fresh slides were prepared and fresh diagnoses were made using the grading criteria for MEC. Immunohistochemical markers for Bcl-2 were applied and the results analyzed using the chi-square test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 40 cases, 20 were males and 20 were females. The range in age of the patients was 6 to 67 years mean (SD) was 42.6 (1.85) years. Twenty-two were low grade (55%), 11 high grade (27.5%) and 7 (17.5%) were intermediate grade MEC. Among these 40 cases, Bcl-2 expression was positive in 24 cases and negative in 16 cases. In 22 cases of low-grade MEC, 19 were positive while only 3 were negative. In high-grade tumors, all 11 cases were found to have a negative expression of Bcl-2 protein. In intermediate-grade MEC, 5 cases showed positive expression while only 2 cases showed negative expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bcl-2 protein expression showed positive expression in low-grade and negative expression in high-grade MEC. Intermediate grade showed more than 50% positive results for Bcl-2. Correlation between grades of MEC and expression of Bcl-2 is statistically significant and can be used for the depicting the prognosis of MEC along with other prognostic and clinico-pathological parameters.
authors: Rawal Institute of Health Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan. osj1982@hotmail.com
authors: Omer Sefvan
authors: OS
authors: Janjua
authors: Sana Mehmood
authors: SM
authors: Qureshi
authors: Tariq Sarfraz
authors: TS
authors: Khan
authors: Wajiha
authors: W
authors: Alamgir
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018277:Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2