Proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression in mucoepidermoid carcinoma of salivary glands

Abstract

a b s t r a c tCONTEXT: Among the cytological and morphological properties of mucoepidermoid carcinoma, one of the most important criteria for measuring its biological behavior and aggressiveness is cell proliferation. In this way, immunohistochemical markers of cell proliferation have been found to be useful in tumor classification and have formed part of the prognostic and therapeutic studies of these pathologies. OBJECTIVE:To analyze 11 cases of mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) using the proliferation activity marker (PCNA) and to determine its relationship to the grade of malignancy of these tumors.DESIGN: Correlation study. SETTING:Head and Neck Surgery Service of Heliópolis Hospital, São Paulo, Brazil. SAMPLE:Slides of 11 cases of primary mucoepidermoid carcinomas of salivary glands were prepared according to routine techniques employed in the Oral Pathology Department of the Dentistry Faculty of São Paulo University, Brazil. They were fixed in a 10% formaldehyde solution and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. After this preparation the tumors were classified as low, intermediate and high grade of malignancy, according to the criteria established by Seifert & Sobin and Auclair, Goode & Ellis. The slides were sent for immunohistochemical processing to evaluate the positivity of proliferating cell nuclear antigen using the streptavidin biotin technique. MAIN MEASUREMENT:The correlation between proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression and the histological malignancy grade in mucoepidermoid carcinoma of salivary glands. RESULTS:there were 4 cases (36%) of low grade, 4 cases (36%) of intermediate grade and 3 cases (27%) of high grade of malignancy. After a comparative study between histological features and immunohistochemical analysis, significant differences were observed (P < 0.01) for low, intermediate and high grades: 16.04%, 26.98% and 56.98% of proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression in mucoepidermoid carcinoma , respectively. CONCLUSION:The proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression increases with the grade of malignancy in mucoepidermoid carcinoma of salivary glands.

Mucoepidermoid Cancer of the Tongue Base: Case Report

“…One of the most important criteria for measuring the biological behavior and aggressiveness of MEC is cell proliferation. The proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression increases with the grade of malignancy [9]. The risk of recurrence increased with insufficient excision and the overall prognosis is affected inversely by high grade pathology, rapid clinical presentation, old age and location [10].…”

Parotid carcinoma: Current diagnostic workup and treatment

“…Independent of the exact cascade that has occurred, these markers reflect the number of cells going through the cell cycle towards division and thus constitute a cell cycle based proliferation index. Typical markers that have entered clinical pathological analysis are Ki-67 (MIB-1 antibody against this nuclear antigen found in proliferating cells), 101,115,116 Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA -an essential co-factor of DNA polymerase delta -present during S-phase), 99,117,118 hTERT (subunit of telomerase), 119 TUNEL (identification of DNA breaks in apoptotic cells), 120 and AgNOR (argyrophylic proteins specific for cell cycle). The role of these markers has been described in AdCC, AcCC, MEC and SDC.…”

“…10, 121 In several studies these proliferation markers correlate with optical grading and outcome and remain independently important in multivariate models including classical clinical and pathological factors, proving their added value. 99,101,[115][116][117][118]122 The advantage of these endpointmarkers or overall proliferation indices is that they are not too expensive, widely applicable and correlate well with prognosis.…”

Prognostic value of proliferating cell nuclear antigen in parotid gland cancer

“…Additionally, the very reliable punctuated labelling of PCNA is the method of choice for evaluating the S-phase index in histopathology [22]. Higher expression of this marker has been shown in more aggressive tumours [23]. For the evaluation of salivary gland cancer, PCNA appears to have predictive significance, although some conflicting results have been reported in studies of small group numbers of different histological subtypes [17,24,25].…”