title: MCM3 as a novel diagnostic marker in benign and malignant salivary gland tumors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Proliferation markers widely have been used to diagnose and determine the behaviour and prognosis of benign and malignant tumours. Minichromosome maintenance 3 (MCM3) is a novel proliferation marker. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare MCM3 with Ki-67 in diagnosis of salivary gland tumours.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this retrospective study, immunohistochemical expression of MCM3 and Ki-67 was evaluated in 15 pleomorphic adenomas (PA), 17 mucoepidermoid carcinomas (MEC) and 18 adenoid cystic carcinomas (ADCC) . Labeling indices (LIs) for the two markers were calculated and compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MCM3 and Ki-67 LIs were significantly higher in MEC and ADCC compared to PA. The LI of MCM3 was significantly higher than that of Ki-67 in MEC and PA. There was no significant difference between the two markers in ADCC. A cut-off point of 8% with 74.3% sensitivity and 93.3% specificity for MCM3 was obtained to discern between benign and malignant tumors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that MCM3 might be a useful proliferation marker for differential diagnosis and recognition of clinical behavior of salivary gland tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Dentistry, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Zohreh Jaafari
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Ashkavandi
authors.forename: Ali Dehghani
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Najvani
authors.forename: Azadeh Andishe
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Tadbir
authors.forename: Soheil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pardis
authors.forename: Mohammad Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ranjbar
authors.forename: Mohammad Javad
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ashraf
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D008949:Adenoma, Pleomorphic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D018277:Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064126:Minichromosome Maintenance Complex Component 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; C066470:MCM3 protein, human; D064126:Minichromosome Maintenance Complex Component 3