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Immunolocalization of α 2 , α 5 , and α 6 integrin subunits in salivary tissue and adenomas of the parotid gland
Author(s) -
Franchi Alessandro,
Santoro Roberto,
Paglierani Milena,
Bondi Roberto
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
journal of oral pathology and medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.887
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1600-0714
pISSN - 0904-2512
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0714.1994.tb00444.x
Subject(s) - basement membrane , pathology , myoepithelial cell , salivary gland , biology , pleomorphic adenoma , integrin , epithelium , basal (medicine) , ductal cells , immunohistochemistry , parotid gland , cell , anatomy , endocrinology , medicine , genetics , insulin
The localization of the integrin subunits α 2 , α 5 , α 6 was studied immunohistochemically in samples of normal salivary gland and in a series of 8 pleomorphic adenomas, 5 Warthin's tumors, and 2 basal cell adenomas. In normal salivary tissue, acinar and ductal cells expressed α 2 and α 6 chains at the basal cell pole facing the basement membrane. α 2 also localized at sites of cell‐cell contact. No staining of the epithelial component was seen with α 5 . The polarized expression of α 2 and α 6 , subunits was retained in salivary adenomas. These subunits were present at the basal cell pole of solid nests, tubules and ducts of pleomorphic adenomas, as well as of the basal layer of the epithelium of Warthin's tumor, and of the trabecular structures of basal cell adenomas. The α 5 subunit was consistently expressed only by cells embedded in the myxoid or chondroid matrix of pleomorphic adenomas. We conclude that the pattern of a integrin subunit expression in salivary adenomas may be related to the “epithelial” or “mesenchymal” phenotype of the neoplastic cells.