title: Expression of Submaxillary Gland Androgen-regulated Protein 3A (SMR3A) in Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Head and Neck.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the head and neck (ACC) is a rare tumor entity which originates from the salivary glands. The prognosis remains poor, as the tumor tends to exhibit perineural invasion and frequently develops distant metastases. The submaxillary gland androgen-regulated protein 3A (SMR3A) belongs to a gene family producing opiorphin homologs and is physiologically secreted by salivary glands. Expression of SMR3A has been identified as an unfavorable risk factor in survival of patients with squamous cell carcinoma in the head and neck, but its value as a prognostic biomarker for ACC has not been addressed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tissue sections from primary ACC (n=86) and healthy glandular tissue as reference, were stained by immunohistochemistry. SMR3A expression levels were correlated with clinical and pathological features, including overall survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients had undergone surgery and 67 received adjuvant radiotherapy. The median disease-free survival (DFS) was 37 months and the median overall survival (OS) was 75 months. Prominent SMR3A expression in tumor cells was found in 24 of 86 patients (27,9%), and was inversely correlated with a male gender (p=0.009). There was no significant correlation between SMR3A expression and DFS, metastasis-free survival or OS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data demonstrate for the first time decreased levels of SMR3A in ACC compared to normal glandular tissue. These data suggest a context-dependent regulation of SMR3A expression in the pathogenesis of distinct subtypes of head and neck tumors, and support the assumption that detection of SMR3A expression serves as a surrogate for aberrant differentiation into mucosal- or glandular-like cells in ACC and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
authors: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Ulm, Germany. thierauf.julia@gmail.com
authors: Julia
authors: J
authors: Thierauf
authors: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
authors: Johannes A
authors: JA
authors: Veit
authors: Section of Experimental and Translational Head and Neck Oncology, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Grünow
authors: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
authors: Johannes
authors: J
authors: Döscher
authors: Department of Pathology, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
authors: Stephanie
authors: S
authors: Weißinger
authors: Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A.
authors: Theresa
authors: T
authors: Whiteside
authors: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Köln, Köln, Germany.
authors: Dirk
authors: D
authors: Beutner
authors: Alexander
authors: A
authors: Quaas
authors: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Köln, Köln, Germany.
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Plinkert
authors: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
authors: Thomas K
authors: TK
authors: Hoffmann
authors: Section of Experimental and Translational Head and Neck Oncology, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany Research Group Molecular Mechanisms of Head and Neck Tumors, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors: Jochen
authors: J
authors: Hess
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides
keywords: Adenoid cystic carcinoma; SMR3A; head and neck cancer; immunohistochemistry