Expression of cancer stem cell marker CD44 in salivary gland tumors.
- 1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Dentistry, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
- 2School of Dentistry, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Abstract
Background
Although salivary gland tumors (SGTs) are relatively rare neoplasms, they attract considerable attention in head-and-neck pathology due to their diverse biological behavior. Pleomorphic adenoma (PA) is the most common benign SGT, whereas mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) and adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) are among the most frequent malignant counterparts. CD44 is a cell surface glycoprotein and a well-established cancer stem cell marker that plays an important role in cell migration, adhesion, tumor invasion, and cancer prognosis. Since high levels of CD44 are expressed in many malignant tumors, it may contribute to carcinogenesis and the aggressive behavior of certain malignancies. However, its diagnostic and prognostic role in SGTs remains insufficiently clarified. The present study aimed to evaluate CD44 expression in two malignant SGTs and compare the findings with PA as a benign reference, highlighting the gap in knowledge regarding CD44 in these tumors.Materials and methods
In this retrospective study, CD44 expression was evaluated in 39 paraffin-embedded specimens (13 PAs, 13 MECs, and 13 ACCs) by immunohistochemistry. Statistical analyses were performed using Kruskal-Wallis and Chi-square tests. Data were considered significant at P < 0.05.Results
CD44 expression in malignant tumors was significantly higher than in PA. Pairwise comparison of CD44 immunoreactivity between the malignant groups revealed no statistical difference. However, a significant increase in CD44 expression was observed with increasing histological grade of MEC. No correlation was found between CD44 immunoexpression and patient age, gender, and lesion location.Conclusion
Our findings demonstrate that CD44 was significantly overexpressed in malignant SGTs compared with PAs, suggesting a potential role in carcinogenesis and tumor aggressiveness. This study highlights the potential of CD44 as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in SGTs and underlines the need for further large-scale investigations to evaluate its clinical utility in targeted therapies.
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BibTeX
@article{saghravanian2026expression,
title = {{Expression of cancer stem cell marker CD44 in salivary gland tumors.}},
author = {Nasrollah Saghravanian and Narges Ghazi and Niloofar Saghravanian},
journal = {Dental research journal},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.4103/drj.drj_429_25},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42974583},
note = {CC BY-NC-SA},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Expression of cancer stem cell marker CD44 in salivary gland tumors.
AU - Nasrollah Saghravanian
AU - Narges Ghazi
AU - Niloofar Saghravanian
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
JO - Dental research journal
DO - 10.4103/drj.drj_429_25
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42974583
AB - Background Although salivary gland tumors (SGTs) are relatively rare neoplasms, they attract considerable attention in head-and-neck pathology due to their diverse biological behavior. Pleomorphic adenoma (PA) is the most common benign SGT, whereas mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) and adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) are among the most frequent malignant counterparts. CD44 is a cell surface glycoprotein and a well-established cancer stem cell marker that plays an important role in cell migration, adhesion, tumor invasion, and cancer prognosis. Since high levels of CD44 are expressed in many malignant tumors, it may contribute to carcinogenesis and the aggressive behavior of certain malignancies. However, its diagnostic and prognostic role in SGTs remains insufficiently clarified. The present study aimed to evaluate CD44 expression in two malignant SGTs and compare the findings with PA as a benign reference, highlighting the gap in knowledge regarding CD44 in these tumors.Materials and methods In this retrospective study, CD44 expression was evaluated in 39 paraffin-embedded specimens (13 PAs, 13 MECs, and 13 ACCs) by immunohistochemistry. Statistical analyses were performed using Kruskal-Wallis and Chi-square tests. Data were considered significant at P < 0.05.Results CD44 expression in malignant tumors was significantly higher than in PA. Pairwise comparison of CD44 immunoreactivity between the malignant groups revealed no statistical difference. However, a significant increase in CD44 expression was observed with increasing histological grade of MEC. No correlation was found between CD44 immunoexpression and patient age, gender, and lesion location.Conclusion Our findings demonstrate that CD44 was significantly overexpressed in malignant SGTs compared with PAs, suggesting a potential role in carcinogenesis and tumor aggressiveness. This study highlights the potential of CD44 as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in SGTs and underlines the need for further large-scale investigations to evaluate its clinical utility in targeted therapies.
SN - 1735-3327
SN - 2008-0255
ER -