Paxillin expression levels are correlated with clinical stage and metastasis in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma

Abstract

To investigate the relationship between paxillin expression and clinicopathological features and metastasis in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma (SACC). A total of 47 SACC were assessed histochemically for paxillin expression. Paxillin immunoreactivity was compared with histological type, clinical stage and distant metastasis. Paxillin expression was identified in 57.45% of SACC as cytoplasmic staining and the expression was correlated with distant metastasis and clinical stage (P < 0.05), but not with histological type. Our observations indicate that paxillin expression is upregulated in SACC. High expression of paxillin was correlated with a more advanced stage and metastasis in SACC, suggesting that paxillin is a disease marker in advanced SACC and SACC with distant metastasis, and, consequently, may have value as a therapeutic target for SACC.