Immunohistochemical identification of human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) was carried out in a total of 152 cases of salivary gland tumours, consisting 107 pleomorphic adenomas and their variants, 13 adenolymphomas and 32 adenoid cystic carcinomas. A high percentage of pleomorphic adenomas revealed markedly positive hEGF staining of the luminal surface cells of tubuloductal structures and of modified or neoplastic myoepithelial cells. Clear cells of the tumour showed various reactivities from very slight to strong. Eosinophilic epithelial cells of adenolymphoma gave a positive reaction for hEGF in all the cases, whereas most adenoid cystic adenoma lacked hEGF staining; however some cases showed positive staining of the tumour cells. The immunohistochemical detection of hEGF in most salivary gland tumours suggests this factor to be a possible new marker of salivary glands tumours, and to have a biological role in tumour proliferation.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.