Affiliations: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck
Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Austria | Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Pathology,
Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Austria | Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medical Computer
Sciences, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
Note: [] Corresponding author: Dietmar Thurnher, MD, Department of
Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Vienna,
Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria. Tel.: +43 1 40400 3372; Fax:
+43 1 40400 3355; E-mail: dietmar.thurnher@meduniwien.ac.at
Abstract: The anti-apoptotic protein Mcl-1 is highly expressed in various
types of malignant tumors. Overexpression is reported to correlate with poor
prognosis and disease progression. We report the expression levels of Mcl-1 in
tumor samples of the parotid gland. A retrospective study containing 108
patients was performed. A tissue microarray of six malignancies of the parotid
gland and pleomorphic adenoma as control was constructed. Parotid gland tumor
samples were immunohistochemically stained for Mcl-1 and expression intensities
were assessed. Statistical analysis included correlation to patients' clinical
data and comparison of malignancies to the adenoma. All malignancies had
significantly higher expression of Mcl-1 than the pleomorphic adenomas. The
intensity, however, had no significant correlation to overall survival. Our immunohistochemical findings indicate that parotid gland malignancies produce
high levels of Mcl-1 protein. Therefore, Mcl-1 might serve as a predictive
co-marker in tumors of the parotid gland.
Keywords: Mcl-1, cancer, parotid, salivary gland, head and neck
