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Apoptosis and apoptotic‐related factors in mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the oral minor salivary glands
Author(s) -
Yin HongFang,
Okada Norihiko,
Takagi Minoru
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
pathology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.73
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1827
pISSN - 1320-5463
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1827.2000.01091.x
Subject(s) - tunel assay , mucoepidermoid carcinoma , apoptosis , terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase , minor salivary glands , carcinoma , pathology , proliferating cell nuclear antigen , biology , medicine , immunohistochemistry , salivary gland , biochemistry
The oncoproteins Bcl‐2 and Bax, the tumor suppressor gene product p53, TUNEL (TdT [terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase] dUTP nick end‐labeling) and the cell‐cycle antigen Ki‐67 were studied in 71 cases of mucoepidermoid carcinoma originating in the oral minor salivary glands. Grade I tumors had higher expression of Bcl‐2 than Grade II and III tumors (χ 2 test, 0.01 < P < 0.025) and the Bcl‐2‐positive group had a higher survival rate than the Bcl‐2‐negative group (generalized Wilcoxon, P = 0.00051). Patients with strong TUNEL positivity had a higher survival rate than those with either weak positivity or negativity (generalized Wilcoxon, P = 0.047). The expression of p53 and TUNEL had a positive correlation ( P = 0.0315). Grade II and III tumors had a higher frequency of positive Ki‐67 expression than Grade I tumors (χ 2 test, 0.01 < P < 0.025) and patients with Ki‐67‐negative tumors had better survival than patients with Ki‐67‐positive tumors (generalized Wilcoxon, P = 0.000099). This study showed that Bcl‐2 proteins, p53 protein, TUNEL and Ki‐67 are potentially useful prognostic markers for survival in patients with mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the oral minor salivary glands.