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Toll-like receptor 5 and 7 expression in adenoid cystic carcinoma of major salivary glands

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Tumor Biology

Abstract

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of the salivary glands has a poor long-term prognosis and high metastatic rate. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) have been related to tumour progression but have also tumour growth-inhibiting responses. To the best of our knowledge, they have not been studied previously in ACC. We studied the immunoexpression of TLR 5 and 7 in ACC of the major salivary glands. From a cohort of 54 patients with ACC of the major salivary glands treated at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland in 1974–2009, there were 34 primary tumours and six metastases available for immunohistochemical analysis. Immunohistochemical expression of TLR 5 and 7 were correlated to clinicopathological findings and patient survival. Both TLR 5 and 7 were expressed in ACCs and their metastases, mostly on the cell membranes. The expression was heterogeneous in individual tumours. TLR 5 was expressed less in male samples, and TLR 7 had lower expression in ACCs with solid growth pattern. No correlation with survival was found. In the normal salivary gland, the TLR 5 and 7 expression was mainly negative. Both TLR 5 and 7 are expressed in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma on the cell membranes as well as in cytoplasm.

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Abbreviations

ACC:

Adenoid cystic carcinoma

TLR:

Toll-like receptor

OS:

Overall survival

DSS:

Disease-specific survival

DFS:

Disease-free survival

DAMP:

Danger-associated molecular pattern

PAMP:

Pathogen-associated molecular pattern

LPS:

Lipopolysaccharide

PRR:

Pattern-recognition receptor

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Author notes

    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

      K. Hirvonen, L. Bäck, L. Jouhi & A. A. Mäkitie

    2. Department of Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland and Research Programs Unit, Translational Cancer Biology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

      C. Haglund

    3. Department of Pathology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

      I. Leivo

    4. Department of Pathology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

      J. Hagström

    5. Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 220, FI-00029 HUS, Helsinki, Finland

      K. Hirvonen

    Authors
    1. K. Hirvonen
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    2. L. Bäck
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    3. C. Haglund
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    4. I. Leivo
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    5. L. Jouhi
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    6. A. A. Mäkitie
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    7. J. Hagström
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    Correspondence to K. Hirvonen.

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    Highlights

    1. TLR 5 and 7 are shown to be expressed in salivary gland adenoid cystic carcinoma for the first time.

    2. TLR 5 and 7 are expressed on cell membranes and in cytoplasm in ACC.

    3. TLR 5 correlated with male gender and TLR 7 with solid growth pattern in ACC.

    A. A. Mäkitie and J. Hagström contributed equally to this work.

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    Hirvonen, K., Bäck, L., Haglund, C. et al. Toll-like receptor 5 and 7 expression in adenoid cystic carcinoma of major salivary glands. Tumor Biol. 37, 10959–10964 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13277-016-4971-8

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13277-016-4971-8

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