Oral Oncology
Volume 39, Issue 3 , Pages 277-281, April 2003

Mel-CAM (CD146) expression in parotid mucoepidermoid carcinoma

  • Fábio Ramôa Pires

      Affiliations

    • Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry, State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Boulevard 28 de Setembro, n° 157, CEP: 21550-030, Rio de Janeiro/RJ, Brazil
    • ,
  • Ie-Ming Shih

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institution, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
    • ,
  • Danyel Elias da Cruz Perez

      Affiliations

    • Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry of Piracicaba, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Av. Limeira, 901—CEP: 13414-903—Piracicaba/SP, Brazil
    • ,
  • Oslei Paes de Almeida

      Affiliations

    • Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry of Piracicaba, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Av. Limeira, 901—CEP: 13414-903—Piracicaba/SP, Brazil
    • ,
  • Luiz Paulo Kowalski

      Affiliations

    • Department of Head and Neck Surgery and Otorhinolaryngology, AC Camargo Cancer Hospital, Rua Prof. Antônio Prudente, 211, Liberdade, CEP: 01509-900—São Paulo/SP, Brazil
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +55-11-3272-5125; fax: +55-11-3277-6789

Received 20 August 2002; accepted 10 October 2002.

Abstract 

Mel-CAM (CD146) is a cell–cell adhesion protein found in normal and tumoral tissues. The aim of this study was to analyse Mel-CAM expression in mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC), and assess its importance in prognosis and its utility in differentiating high-grade MEC from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Immunohistochemical expression of Mel-CAM in 41 parotid MEC was correlated with clinical parameters. Ten cases of oral cavity SCC were included for comparison. Mel-CAM expression was found in 92.7% of the MEC but was not expressed by the SCC. Mel-CAM expression was greater in intermediate/high grade tumors, was weaker in patients that presented local recurrence, regional and distant metastasis, but no correlation between Mel-CAM and clinical stage and survival of the patients was found. Decreased Mel-CAM expression can impair cellular contact properties, facilitating growth, cell spreading and metastasis in MEC. Mel-CAM can also be useful in differentiating high grade MEC from SCC.

Keywords:  Mucoepidermoid carcinoma, Salivary glands, Parotid, Mel-CAM, CD146, Squamous cell carcinoma

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PII: S1368-8375(02)00115-X

doi:10.1016/S1368-8375(02)00115-X

Oral Oncology
Volume 39, Issue 3 , Pages 277-281, April 2003

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