title: [Mucoepidermoid carcinomas of salivary glands: prognostic significance of immunohistochemistry. A study of 49 cases].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is considered as the most common malignant salivary gland tumor. Its prognosis is dominated by the presence of high-grade forms involving life-threatening. The aim of our study was to evaluate the usefulness of immunohistochemistry to identify the most aggressive forms and allow better discrimination between low grade, intermediate grade and high grade tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective study of 49 cases of mucoepidermoid carcinomas of salivary glands. Two immunohistochemical markers have mainly been studied: a marker of proliferation (Ki-67) and a growth factor receptor (EGFR). Additional analyzes were performed with other markers (p53, ACE, bcl2, CD 117 and her2). Statistical analysis investigated the existence of a correlation between the presence of these factors and the histopathological grade on one hand and survival of patients on the other hand.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Regarding the results of immunohistochemical Ki-67 and EGFR, it was observed a better survival rate when the immunostaining was less than 10%. The expression of Ki-67 and EGFR was correlated with the histological grade, but did not, in our study, allow discrimination between low-grade, intermediate grade and high grade. Our results are consistent with data of the literature, including Ki-67, which appears to be a useful but not powerful marker of prognosis of MEC. Other markers studied (p53, ACE, bcl2, CD 117 and her2) showed no contributory results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prognosis of MEC is appreciated satisfactorily following histological criteria: histological grade, surgical margins, perineural invasion or vascular emboli. The integration of immunohistochemistry in a therapeutic algorithm could be particularly useful for the challenging assessment of prognosis of intermediate grades.
authors.affiliation: Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM)/Aix Marseille Univ, CHU La Timone, Service ORL et Chirurgie Cervico-Faciale, 264 rue Saint Pierre, 13385 Marseille cedex 05, France.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Santini
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Coulibaly
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gaudart
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giovanni
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dessi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fakhry
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D018277:Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D066246:ErbB Receptors