Immunohistochemical expression of OCT4 and CD44 in major and minor salivary gland neoplasms

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify tumor parenchyma cells exhibiting immunohistochemical profile of stem cells by evaluating the immunoreactivity of OCT4 and CD44 in a number of cases of salivary gland neoplasms. The sample consisted of 20 pleomorphic adenomas, 20 mucoepidermoid carcinomas, and 20 adenoid cystic carcinomas located in major and minor salivary glands. The expression of OCT4 and CD44 was evaluated by the percentage of positive cells and the intensity of expression. All studied cases showed positive expression of OCT4 and CD44 and higher values than the control groups. For OCT4, luminal and non-luminal cells were immunostained in the case of pleomorphic adenomas and adenoid cystic carcinomas. Moreover, the immunoreactivity of CD44 was particularly evident in the nonluminal cells of these lesions. In mucoepidermoid carcinomas, there was immunoreactivity for both markers in squamous and intermediate cells and absence of staining in mucous cells. For both markers, a significantly higher immunostaining was verified in neoplasms located in the major salivary glands compared with lesions in minor salivary glands (p<0.001). In the total sample and in minor salivary glands, malignant neoplasms exhibited higher immunoreactivity for OCT4 than pleomorphic adenoma. A significant moderate positive correlation (r = 0.444 and p ≤ 0.001) was found between OCT4 and CD44 immunoexpression in the total sample. The high expression of OCT4 and CD44 may indicate that these proteins play an important role in identifying tumor stem cells.

CD44+/CD24- Expression as predictors of ovarian cancer chemoresistance: immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry study

“…The CSCs' (CD44 + /CD24 -) expression was found by using a 400× light microscope magnification and three different fields of view. While the CD24 marker was red in both the cytoplasm and cell membrane, the CD44 marker was mostly brown in the cell membrane [10]. There is no red staining and a predominance of brown staining in the high CD44 + /CD24cells.…”

“…9 Department of Anatomic Pathology, Budhi Asih Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia. 10 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karawang General Public Hospital, Karawang, Indonesia.…”

Heterogeneity and versatility of the extracellular matrix during the transition from pleomorphic adenoma to carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma: cumulative findings from basic research and new insights

“…The use of different isoforms and heterogeneity in analysis among different studies may justify the reduced expression of CD44 in CXPA in other studies ( 56 , 60 ). CD44 has been recognized as one of the markers of multipotency of neoplastic cells in SGTs ( 61 ) and this sheds light on its potential as a therapeutic target for the treatment of CXPA.…”

Evaluation of CD44s, CD44v6, CXCR2, CXCL1, and IL-1β in Benign and Malignant Tumors of Salivary Glands

“…Several markers, including aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), octamer-binding transcription factor (OCT4), and CD44, have been shown to identify tumor stem cells in various types of tumors [5,6]. The different isoforms of CD44, such as CD44s and CD44v6, have also been related to poor prognosis and metastasis in breast cancer [11].…”

“…Salivary gland tumors have complexity in histopathological features with various clinical characteristics. Several biomarkers, including aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44), and octamer-binding transcription factor (OCT4), have been used to identify tumor stem cells in various tumors, including, tongue squamous cell carcinoma and major and minor salivary gland neoplasms [5,6].…”