Salivary mucins in patients with salivary gland tumors

Salivary gland tumors are very heterogenous. Classification only relies upon
histopathology. More than 40 subtypes are recognized by the WHO classification
(2005). Malignant salivary gland tumors are mostly adenocarcinomas. Most
adenocarcinomas produce mucins. In breast and colon cancer, it has been shown
that expression and glycosylation of mucins in tumor is altered compared to
normal tissue. Cellular and humoral immune responses against mucins, in
particular MUC1 have been described in patients with these adenocarcinomas. In
patients with breast cancer, the presence of a humoral response against MUC1
can prevent disease progression.
At present, nothing is known about expression and glycosylation of mucins in
salivary gland tumors.

In this project the expression, glycosylation and sialylation of mucins will be
determined in tissue specimens of salivary gland tumors and in parallel, in the
saliva of patients with a salivary gland tumor to determine whether altered
mucin expression in saliva can be used as a diagnostic tool in pre-operative
management of patients.

1. in specimens of salivary gland tumors, available at the archives of the
department of (oral) pathology, expression and glycosylation and sialylation of
mucins will be determined by immunohistochemistry with monoclonal and
polyclonal antiboedies.

2. saliva will be collected from patients who visit the departments of Oral and
Maxillofacial Surgery and Head and Neck Surgery with a salivary gland tumor.
The saliva will be tested for the presence and composition of mucins, in
parallel with the tumorbiopsies and excisions, taken for diagnostic and
treatment purposes.

3. as a control, saliva of normal healthy controls will be investigated.

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