Apoptotic signaling in salivary mucoepidermoid carcinoma

Abstract

Background Mucoepidermoid carcinoma is the most common malignant tumor of salivary glands. Apoptosis plays an important role in organogenesis of glandular structures, and aberrations of apoptotic mechanisms is associated with a wide array of pathologic conditions. Methods The immunoexpression of proteins associated with apoptosis and proliferation was evaluated in 40 mucoepidermoid carcinoma cases. Results Par‐4, Survivin, MUC1, PHLDA1, Fas, and Ki‐67 were predominantly expressed in mucoepidermoid carcinoma. FasL was rarely expressed, and Caspase‐3 expression was observed in almost 50% of the cases. SPARC expression was associated with low‐grade tumors, and Ki‐67 expression was associated with lymph node metastasis. Expression of Fas and decreased expression of Ki‐67 and Caspase‐3 were associated with better overall cancer‐specific survival rates. Conclusions The association of SPARC and Ki‐67 expression with pathological features and the association of Fas, Caspase‐3, and Ki‐67 with survival probabilities suggest that these proteins may be useful prognostic markers for mucoepidermoid carcinoma.

Caspase 3 and Cleaved Caspase 3 Expression in Tumorogenesis and Its Correlations with Prognosis in Head and Neck Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Descriptive summaries of the included studies, listed chronologically from the oldest publication date, are displayed in Table 1 . The data were collected from a period spanning 1970 to 2019, while the year of publication ranged from 2005 to 2019 [ 5 , 7 , 10 , 14 , 16 , 20 , 21 , 26 , 27 , 37 , 50 , 57 , 58 , 61 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 ]. Sample sizes ranged between 20 and 246 [ 5 , 7 , 10 , 14 , 16 , 20 , 21 , 26 , 27 , 37 , 50 , 57 , 58 , 61 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 ].…”

“…The data were collected from a period spanning 1970 to 2019, while the year of publication ranged from 2005 to 2019 [ 5 , 7 , 10 , 14 , 16 , 20 , 21 , 26 , 27 , 37 , 50 , 57 , 58 , 61 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 ]. Sample sizes ranged between 20 and 246 [ 5 , 7 , 10 , 14 , 16 , 20 , 21 , 26 , 27 , 37 , 50 , 57 , 58 , 61 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 ]. The studies were conducted in 14 different countries across Europe, South America and Asia.…”

“…Among commonly reported aberrant pathways, apoptosis has emerged as a hallmark in cancer biology [ 11 , 12 , 13 ]. Apoptosis is a genetic cell death program that functions primarily to eliminate senescent or altered cells that are useless or harmful in a multicellular organism [ 11 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]. An imbalance of apoptotic pathways is one of the fundamental processes in carcinogenesis [ 17 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ].…”

“…Both end up generating the activation of a cascade of proteases called caspases (cysteine-containing aspartic acid-specific proteases) that are synthesized as proenzymes, activated by proteolytic cleavage, which may cleave other caspases as part of the apoptotic signaling cascade [ 21 , 22 , 25 , 27 , 29 , 30 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 ]. Initiator caspases (including Caspase 2, 8, 9 and 10), upon activation by pro-apoptotic signals, cleave and activate effector caspases (including Caspase 3, 6 and 7) [ 14 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 ].…”

Functions of Matricellular Proteins in Dental Tissues and Their Emerging Roles in Orofacial Tissue Development, Maintenance, and Disease

“…SPARC has also been found to be expressed in the margin between the primary tumour and the surrounding microenvironment (stroma cells) in primary and regional metastatic oral tongue squamous cell carcinomas, suggesting its role in invasion and metastasis [ 200 ]. Recent studies report SPARC expression by neoplastic cells in epithelioid osteosarcoma of the mandible [ 201 ] and the ECM of mucoepidermoid carcinoma of salivary glands where its expression is associated with low histological grade tumour [ 202 ].…”