Metabolic alterations in carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma development of lacrimal glands.

Purpose: To evaluate metabolic alterations along with the carcinoma ex pleomorphic adneoma (CXPA) development of lacrimal glands (LG).

Methods: Four samples of the normal LG (NLG), 9 of pleomorphic adenoma (PA), 4 of residual PA (rPA), and 4 of CXPA of LG were included. GLUT-1, HIF-1α, FASN, and adipophilin by immunohistochemical stains were performed in the selected cases.

Results: Was observed higher expression of markers associated with glycolytic and lipid metabolism in the tumor tissue samples when compared to the NLG samples. Additionally, GLUT-1, FASN, and Adipophilin were more expressed in CXPA samples while HIF-1α in PA samples.

Conclusions: In conclusion, our results demonstrate overexpression of FASN and Adipophilin in CXPA which may reflect a metabolic shift toward lipogenesis in cancer cells.