Expression of FOXI1 and POU2F3 varies among different salivary gland neoplasms and is higher in Warthin tumor.

PURPOSE: Salivary gland tumors are histologically diverse. Ionocytes and tuft cells, rare epithelial cells found in normal salivary glands, might be associated with salivary tumors. Here, we explored the expression of FOXI1 and POU2F3, master regulators of ionocytes and tuft cells, respectively, for common salivary neoplasms using immunohistochemistry. METHODS: We analyzed normal salivary tissues and nine salivary gland tumors; Warthin tumors (WT), pleomorphic adenomas (PA), basal cell adenomas, and oncocytomas were benign, whereas mucoepidermoid, adenoid cystic, acinic cell, salivary duct carcinomas, and polymorphous adenocarcinomas were malignant. RESULTS: Normal salivary glands contained a few FOXI1- and POU2F3-positive cells in the ducts instead of the acini, consistent with ionocytes and tuft cells, respectively. Among the benign tumors, only WTs and PAs consistently expressed FOXI1 (10/10 and 9/10, respectively). The median H-score of WTs was significantly higher than that of PAs (17.5 vs. 4, P = 0.01). While WTs and PAs harbored POU2F3-positive cells (10/10 and 9/10, respectively), the median H-score was higher in WTs than in PAs (10.5 vs 4, respectively). Furthermore, WTs exhibited a unique staining pattern of FOXI1- and POU2F3-positive cells, which were present in luminal and abluminal locations, respectively. Whereas none of the malignant tumors expressed FOXI1, only adenoid cystic carcinoma consistently expressed POU2F3 (5/5), with a median H-score of 4. CONCLUSION: The expression patterns of the characteristic transcription factors found in ionocytes and tuft cells vary among salivary gland tumor types and are higher in WT, which might be relevant for understanding and diagnosing salivary gland neoplasms.

A novel SREBF1::NACC1 gene fusion in an unclassifiable intracranial tumour.

A 39-year-old man had an intracranial tumour without infiltration into the surrounding cerebral tissue. The tumour recurred seven times in 11 years but maintained a well-demarcated character. Histopathological examination of the 4th surgical specimens showed nests of tumour cells surrounding small blood vessels. The tumour cells harboured amphophilic cytoplasm and small round nuclei with fine chromatin, and perinuclear haloes and clear borders were frequently observed, which was unclassifiable histology. By the Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum methylation classifier, the tumour was not classified into any of the methylation classes. mRNA sequencing identified a novel SREBF1::NACC1 gene fusion. This intracranial tumour could be a novel tumour entity with NACC1 rearrangement showing characteristic histological and diagnostic imaging findings.