TENASCIN EXPRESSION PATTERNS OF SALIVARY GLAND TUMORS: AN IMMUNHISTOCHEMICAL AND COMPARATIVE STUDY
1Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Patology, Kocaeli, Turkey2Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Kocaeli, Turkey Purpose: Tenascin is a multifunctional large glycoprotein component of extracellular matrix. Salivary gland neoplasms present a most diverse group of tumors some of which are rich in extracellular matrix. The study was set out to evaluate the expression of tenascin in a series of salivary gland neoplasms.
Materlals and Methods: 32 salivary gland tumors including; 18 pleomorphic adenomas, 8 Warthin’s tumors, 2 basal cell adenoma, 1 acinic cell carcinoma, 2 adenoid cystic carcinoma, 1 malignant pleomorphic adenoma were included in this study. All of the cases were stained with tenascin with immunohistochemical method. The staining intensities and localizations were evaluated.
Results: In pleomorphic adenomas tenascin expression was intensive in tumoral stromal component especially around chondroid islands. In Warthin’s tumor staining was usually observed beneath epithelial regions and in the epithelial component.
Conclusions: The main source of tenascin in salivary gland tumors is tumor’s stromal component or stroma. The major role of tenascin in pleomorphic adenoma may be proliferation and chondroid differentiation of stromal component. In Warthin’s tumor, tenascin observed under the epithelial component may be responsible of epithelial and mesenchymal interaction and high ratio of intracytoplasmic epithelial tenascin expression. This could be related with the cytokine secretion from the lymphoid stroma
Keywords : Salivary gland tumors, tenascin, immunohistochemistry, pleomorphic adenoma, Warthin’s tumor