Expression of neural cell adhesion molecule in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma and its correlation with perineural invasion

Abstract

The expression of neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) was analyzed in immunohistochemical preparations from adenoid cystic carcinoma. The goal was to evaluate whether NCAM expression could be used as a biological marker for the perineural invasion of adenoid cystic carcinoma in the head and neck. The presence of perineural invasion and NCAM expression was evaluated in samples from 49 patients. Perineural invasion was identified in 33 of them (67%). A high incidence of perineural invasion was found in adenoid cystic carcinoma in the parotid, hard palate, maxillary sinus and oral cavity. Positive NCAM staining was observed in 28 of 49 patients (57%). Of the 28 patients with NCAM staining, perineural invasion was identified in 24 (86%). In contrast, only 9 (43%) of the 21 tumors without NCAM staining had perineural invasion. The difference in NCAM expression between cases with and without perineural invasion was statistically significant (p<0.01). When positive NCAM staining was used to estimate the presence of perineural invasion, the sensitivity was 73 and the specificity 75%. Histopathologic nodal involvement was found in 6 of 18 cases in which neck dissection had been performed. All 6 cases displayed positive NCAM staining, and 5 displayed perineural invasion in the primary adenoid cystic carcinoma. In conclusion, NCAM expression can, to a certain extent, be used as a predictor of perineural invasion in adenoid cystic carcinoma. Moreover, lymph node metastases could serve as a clinical indicator for perineural invasion and for NCAM expression.

Schwann cells induce cancer cell dispersion and invasion

“…These studies are based on correlations between NCAM1 expression in cancer cells, as seen in histologic specimens, and perineural invasion (29)(30)(31)(32)(33). Elevated NCAM1 expression has also been reported in nerves at sites of perineural invasion (48).…”

“…NCAM1 expression has been correlated with the presence of perineural invasion in specimens from a variety of cancers (28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34) and has been reported to play a role in cancer progression and axon guidance (35)(36)(37)(38)(39)(40)(41). Three different shRNAs targeting NCAM1 (referred to herein as sh 1, sh 2, and sh 3, respectively) were used to generate stable cell lines in HEI-286 Schwann cells, and Western blot and immunofluorescence analysis revealed that sh 1 and sh 2 caused strong depletion, while sh 3 led to intermediate depletion of the 140-kDa NCAM1 isoform ( Figure 9A and Supplemental Figure 7A).…”

Recurrent prognostic factors and expression of GLUT-1, PI3K and p-Akt in adenoid cystic carcinomas of the head and neck: Clinicopathological features and biomarkers of adenoid cystic carcinoma

“…However, the long-term outcome of these treatments is unfavorable (6). Several studies have identified clinicopathological factors in ACC with an unfavorable effect on survival, including old age, tumor location, advanced stage, solid histological subtype, high grade, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging, major nerve involvement, the presence of perineural invasion, a positive surgical margin and lymph node metastasis (7,8). However, the real prognostic and recurrence factors are still unknown.…”

Cancer’s got nerve: Schwann cells drive perineural invasion

“…Although NCAM1 expression has previously been correlated with perineural invasion in clinical samples (20,21) and implicated in cancer progression and axonal guidance (22)(23)(24)(25), a role for NCAM1 in the regulation of perineural invasion has been unexplored. NCAM1 silencing in Schwann cells inhibited their ability to promote cancer cell invasion, protrusions, and recruitment to neurites.…”