title: Semaphorins and neuropilins expression in salivary gland tumors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Salivary gland tumors (SGT) account for 3-10% of all head and neck neoplasms, and little is known about their angiogenic properties. Despite semaphorins and neuropilins have been demonstrated to be prognostic determinants in many human cancers, they remain to be investigated in SGT. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze the clinical significance of the expression of class 3 semaphorins A (Sema3A) and B (Sema3B) and neuropilins-1 (Np-1) and neuropilins-2 (Np-2), in SGT.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and forty-eight SGT were organized in tissue microarray paraffin blocks and expression of CD34, Sema3A, Sema3B, Np-1, and Np-2 was determined through immunohistochemistry. The immunoreactions were quantified using digital algorithms and the results correlated with clinicopathological parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Malignant tumors had an increased vascular density than their benign counterparts and their increased vascular area significantly correlated with recurrences (P < 0.05). Patients older than 40 years and the presence of recurrences determined an inferior survival rate (P = 0.0057 and P = 0.0303, respectively). In normal salivary glands, Np-1 and Np-2 expression was restricted to ductal cells, whereas Sema3A and Sema3B were positive in the serous acinar compartment. Tumors were positive for all markers and the co-expression of Np-1/Np-2 significantly correlated with the presence of paresthesia and advanced stages of the tumors (P = 0.01 and P = 0.04, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sema3A, Sema3B, Np-1, and Np-2 may be involved in the pathogenesis of SGT, but their expression did not present a statistically significant prognostic potential in this study.
authors.affiliation: Piracicaba Dental School and Faculty of Medicine, University of Campinas, Piracicaba, Brazil.|Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Clinical Dentistry, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: Felipe P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Clinical Dentistry, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: Lynne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bingle
authors.affiliation: Piracicaba Dental School and Faculty of Medicine, University of Campinas, Piracicaba, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alan R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Santos-Silva
authors.affiliation: Piracicaba Dental School and Faculty of Medicine, University of Campinas, Piracicaba, Brazil.
authors.forename: Márcio A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.affiliation: Piracicaba Dental School and Faculty of Medicine, University of Campinas, Piracicaba, Brazil.
authors.forename: Oslei P
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: de Almeida
authors.affiliation: Dental School, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Bruno A B
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: de Andrade
authors.affiliation: Piracicaba Dental School and Faculty of Medicine, University of Campinas, Piracicaba, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernanda V
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Mariano
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, A.C. Camargo Cancer Center, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiz P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Kowalski
authors.affiliation: Dental School, State University of Western Paraná, Cascavel, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana L C A
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Rangel
authors.affiliation: Medical and Dental Schools, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Manoela D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Medical and Dental Schools, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Meurer
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Clinical Dentistry, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Speight
authors.affiliation: Piracicaba Dental School and Faculty of Medicine, University of Campinas, Piracicaba, Brazil.|Department of Oral Pathology and Oral Biology, School of Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
authors.forename: Pablo A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Vargas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000097:blood; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D039921:Neuropilins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D011379:Prognosis; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D039961:Semaphorins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D015996:Survival Rate; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018952:Antigens, CD34; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D039921:Neuropilins; D039961:Semaphorins
keywords: CD34; neuropilins; prognosis; salivary gland neoplasms; semaphorins