Intraoral mucoepidermoid carcinoma of salivary glands: lack of association among clinicopathological features and immunoexpression of c-erbB-2 in 29 cases

The association among clinicopathological features and c-erbB-2 oncoprotein expression was evaluated in twenty-nine cases of intra-oral mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC). MEC was prevalent in the female gender (79.3 percent), tumors were more frequent in ages between 21 and 40 years (48.3 percent), and the palate was the most commonly affected site (72.4 percent). Microscopically, 27 cases (93.1 percent) were classified as low grade of malignancy. The c-erbB-2 expression was considered positive in 9 (31 percent) cases and no significant association (p>0.05) was found among protein expression and gender nor between patient age and site or histological grade of the lesion. c-erbB-2 expression in MEC may reflect intrisinc biologic properties of salivary gland neoplasms and may be linked to histogenesis and cellular differentiaton.

Fueron evaluados 29 casos de carcinoma mucoepidermoide intraoral en sus aspectos clínico-patológicos, además de la expresión de la oncoproteina c-erbB-2. El carcinoma mucoepidermoide fue predominante en las mujeres (79,3 por ciento), siendo más frecuente en individuos entre 21 y 40 años de edad (48,3 por ciento). El paladar fue el sitio más comunmente afectado (72,4 por ciento). Microscópicamente, 27 casos (93,1 por ciento) fueron clasificados como de baja malignidad. La expresión del c-erbB-2 se consideró positiva en 9 (31 por ciento) casos y no fue observada ninguna asociación significativa (p>0,05) entre la expresión de la proteína y género, ni entre la edad de los pacientes y el sitio o el grado histológico de la lesión. La expresión de la c-erbB-2 en el carcinoma mucoepidermoide puede mostrar las propiedades biológicas intrísecas de las neoplasias de las glándulas salivales.

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression in mucoepidermoid carcinoma of salivary glands

CONTEXT: 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 percent 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 percent) of low grade, 4 cases (36 percent) of intermediate grade and 3 cases (27 percet) 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 percent, 26.98 percet and 56.98 percent 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.