Clinicopathological significance of androgen receptor, HER2, Ki-67 and EGFR expressions in salivary duct carcinoma.

Background: Salivary duct carcinoma (SDC) is a highly aggressive disease which often metastasizes to distant sites, and there is no established standard therapy for this systemic disease. Given that SDC is biologically similar to breast and prostate cancer, anti-androgenic receptor (AR) and anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) therapies have the potential to exert effects, not only on patients with breast and prostate cancer but also on those with SDC.

Methods: The expression levels of HER2, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Ki-67, and AR were assessed in 32 patients with SDC, and their correlations with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were analyzed retrospectively.

Phase I/II study of docetaxel, cisplatin and S-1 in locally advanced, recurrent and metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the maximum tolerated dose, dose-limiting toxicities and preliminary efficacy of chemotherapy with cisplatin, docetaxel and S-1 (TPS) to treat advanced head and neck squamous cell cancer. S-1 was administered orally twice daily on days 1-14 and docetaxel and cisplatin were injected intravenously on day 8, with one course lasting 4 weeks. The recommended dose obtained from a phase I study was set at docetaxel 60 mg/m(2), cisplatin 60 mg/m(2) and S-1 80 mg/m(2)/day.

Inflammatory pseudotumor of the parapharyngeal space: a case report.

Inflammatory pseudotumor is an idiopathic granuloma characterized by infiltrative proliferation of inflammatory cells and myofibroblastic cells, as well as locally aggressive features, clinically and radiologically mimicking a neoplastic process. The occurrence of inflammatory pseudotumor in the head and neck area is uncommon, especially in the parapharyngeal space. The case of a 54-year-old female with inflammatory pseudotumor of the parapharyngeal space is presented.

Differential expression of topoisomerase IIalpha protein in salivary gland carcinomas: histogenetic and prognostic implications.

Background: Salivary gland carcinomas are relatively uncommon heterogeneous malignancies characterized by locoregional invasion and distant metastasis. Topoisomerase IIalpha (topoIIalpha), located at chromosome 17q21-22, is considered a major mediator of cell proliferation and DNA replication. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression of topoIIalpha in various types of salivary gland tumors and its biological significance.

[Treatment results of chemotherapy with S-1 for head and neck cancer].

A study of chemotherapy treatment with S-1 in patients with head and neck cancer was conducted in 20 patients with residual tumor after primary chemoradiotherapy, or recurrent tumors. Treatment courses consisted of oral administration of S-1 at a dose of 80 to 120 mg/day depending on the body surface area for 14 consecutive day followed by a 7- day rest period. The response rate in patients with residual tumors after primary chemoradiotherapy was 55.

Effects of small interfering RNA targeting thymidylate synthase on survival of ACC3 cells from salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma.

Background: Thymidylate synthase (TS) is an important target for chemotherapeutic treatment of cancer and high expression of TS has been associated with poor prognosis or refractory disease in several cancers including colorectal and head and neck cancer. Although TS is known to regulate cell cycles and transcription factors, its potency as a therapeutic target has not been fully explored in adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC).

Methods: An ACC cell line (ACC3) was transfected with siRNA targeting the TS gene and inhibition of cell growth and induction of apoptosis-associated molecules were evaluated in vitro.

Autologous serum eardrops therapy with a chitin membrane for closing tympanic membrane perforations.

Objective: Office treatment for chronic tympanic membrane (TM) perforations has limitations, and alternative methods to myringoplasty are sometimes needed. Serum lacks antigenicity and contains a large variety of growth factors known to modulate proliferation of various tissues to promote wound healing effects. Our purpose was to evaluate the feasibility of autologous serum eardrops therapy with a chitin membrane for closing TM perforations.

Simvastatin inactivates beta1-integrin and extracellular signal-related kinase signaling and inhibits cell proliferation in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells.

The 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl (HMG)-CoA reductase inhibitors, also called statins, are commonly used as lipid-lowering drugs that inhibit cholesterol biosynthesis. An anticancer effect, as a pleiotropic function of certain statins, has been hypothesized. In the present study, we investigated the effect of simvastatin, one of the natural statins, on cell proliferation, cell cycle, invasive activity, and molecular expressions associated with cell-extracellular matrix adhesion, signal transduction, and DNA synthesis in Tu167 and JMAR cells from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Developmental expression of the outer hair cell motor prestin in the mouse.

The development of motor protein activity in the lateral membrane of the mouse outer hair cell (OHC) from postnatal day 5 (P5) to P18 was investigated under whole-cell voltage clamp. Voltage-dependent, nonlinear capacitance (C (v)), which represents the conformational fluctuations of the motor molecule, progressively increased during development. At P12, the onset of hearing in the mouse, C (v) was about 70% of the mature level.

Implications of methylation patterns of cancer genes in salivary gland tumors.

Purpose: We investigated the methylation status and protein expression of four tumor suppressor genes to determine their role in salivary gland tumorigenesis.

Experimental Design: We performed methylation-specific PCR and protein analyses of 29 normal salivary glands, 23 benign, and 79 malignant salivary gland neoplasms to determine the pattern and potential diagnostic and/or biological role of the RASSF1, RARbeta2, DAPK, and MGMT tumor suppressor gene methylation in these tumors.

Results: No methylation was detected in the normal tissues.

Salivary gland carcinoma treated with concomitant chemoradiation with intraarterial cisplatin and docetaxel.

Malignant neoplasms of the salivary gland are uncommon entities in which surgical resection of the primary lesion has been accepted as a standard therapeutic option. The efficacy of radiation and systemic chemotherapy has been limited for patients with recurrent, metastatic, or unresectable disease because of unfavorable response rates and the short duration of the response. We treated one patient with recurrent adenoid cystic carcinoma arising from the sublingual gland and one patient with primary adenocarcinoma arising from the parotid gland with transfemoral intraarterial chemotherapy, based on full-dose cisplatin and docetaxel and concurrent external-beam radiotherapy.

Localization of dopamine receptor subtypes in the rat spiral ganglion.

Although dopaminergic neurons are thought to exist in the lateral olivocochlear efferent system and modulate the afferent nerve activity, the distribution of dopamine (DA) receptor subtypes is still obscure. In the present study, we investigated the localization of five subtypes of DA receptor (D1-5) by immunocytochemical analysis and the gene expression of D1-5 using RT-PCR procedure in the rat cochlea. Most, but not all, spiral ganglion neurons were immunolabeled with all the anti-DA receptor subunit antibodies and faint punctuate immunoreactivities were observed in inner hair cell regions.

Differential expression of p63 isotypes (DeltaN and TA) in salivary gland neoplasms: biological and diagnostic implications.

To determine the association between the expression of p63 gene isoforms (TA and DeltaN) and salivary gland tumorigenesis, we performed reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis of these markers in 71 benign and malignant salivary gland neoplasms. The results were correlated with the expression of Notch ligand JAG1 gene and the clinicopathologic features and the full-length p63 protein expression by immunohistochemistry. Both p63 isoforms were either negative or weakly expressed in normal salivary gland tissues.

Inflammatory pseudotumour (plasma cell granuloma) arising in the maxillary sinus.

Conclusions: Inflammatory pseudotumours in the maxillary sinus may present as malignant tumours and manifest locally aggressive features characteristic of such tumours. Despite their locally destructive features, they pursue a benign course after local excision.

Objective: Inflammatory pseudotumour (plasma cell granuloma) is an uncommon non-neoplastic lesion comprising a proliferation of spindle myofibroblasts and chronic inflammatory cells.

Gene expression screening of salivary gland neoplasms: molecular markers of potential histogenetic and clinical significance.

Salivary gland neoplasms comprise phenotypically and biologically diverse lesions of uncertain histogenesis. The molecular events associated with their development and clinicopathological heterogeneity remain unknown. To reveal these events, we performed microarray expression analysis using a nylon-filter membrane platform on 18 primary lesions representing the most common benign and malignant types.

Differential methylation status of tumor-associated genes in head and neck squamous carcinoma: incidence and potential implications.

Purpose: Promoter hypermethylation is one of the major mechanisms in the transcriptional inactivation of certain carcinoma-associated genes. Concurrent methylation analysis of multiple, functionally distinct genes may provide important information on their differential alterations and potential association in head and neck squamous carcinogenesis.

Experimental Design: Methylation-specific PCR analysis of the CpG islands of 8 cancer-related genes was performed on 19 cell lines and 32 primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) specimens with matched histologically normal mucosa and 6 dysplastic lesions.

Promoter methylation and protein expression of the E-cadherin gene in the clinicopathologic assessment of adenoid cystic carcinoma.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma, a relatively uncommon tumor of salivary glands, is characterized by a prolonged clinical course and a fatal outcome. The molecular events underlying their progression are unknown. In this study, we examined the methylation status of E-cadherin gene and its protein expression in 23 cases of adenoid cystic carcinoma and correlated the results with the clinicopathologic factors to determine its role in these tumors.

Expression of p16 protein and hypermethylation status of its promoter gene in adenoid cystic carcinoma of the head and neck.

Reduced expression of the p16 gene product (protein), an inhibitor of cyclin-D-dependent protein kinase which regulates cell cycle at the G1/S boundary, is implicated in tumor progression in various neoplasms. Hypermethylation of the p16 promoter gene has recently been suggested to be one of the reasons for the reduced protein expression. To explore the role of p16 in the biological behavior of adenoid cystic carcinomas (ACC), we investigated the immunohistochemical expression of p16 protein in 38 ACC tumors (32 primary, 3 recurrent, and 3 metastatic tumors) and the methylation status of its promoter gene.