Intracranial extension of adenoid cystic carcinoma: potential involvement of EphA2 expression and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in tumor metastasis: a case report

BMC Research Notes

Naoyuki Nakao¹  Yuji Uematsu²  Takahiro Sasaki¹  Toshikazu Yamoto¹  Koji Fujita¹  Junya Fukai¹ 

[1] Department of Neurological Surgery, Wakayama Medical University School of Medicine, Kimiidera 811-1, Wakayama 641-0012, Japan;School of Health and Nursing Science, Wakayama Medical University, Mikazura 588, Wakayama 641-0011, Japan

关键词: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition;    EphA2;    Metastasis;    Invasion;    Migration;    Adenoid cystic carcinoma;   

Others  :  1134355
DOI  :  10.1186/1756-0500-7-131

 received in 2013-12-17, accepted in 2014-03-06,  发布年份 2014

【 摘 要 】

Background

Adenoid cystic carcinoma is a malignant epithelial tumor derived from salivary glands and tends to invade the surrounding structures including nervous system. We present a case of adenoid cystic carcinoma with intracranial extension and propose a novel molecular mechanism of adenoid cystic carcinoma metastasis.

Case presentation

A 29-year-old Japanese male presented with left trigeminal nerve disturbance. Neuroimaging revealed a tumor located at the right middle cranial and infratemporal fossa. The tumor was removed via a subtemporal extradural and infratemporal fossa approach and histologically diagnosed as adenoid cystic carcinoma. Radiological and operative findings confirmed a perineural spread of the tumor along the mandibular nerve. Immunohistochemical analyses of molecular consequences in this case were performed for better understanding of the biological processes associated with adenoid cystic carcinoma metastasis. First, the neoplastic cells were not immunoreactive for E-cadherin, an epithelial marker, but for vimentin, a mesenchymal marker, suggesting changes in cell phenotype from epithelial to mesenchymal states. Correspondingly, immunoreactivity of transcriptional factors, such as Slug, Twist, matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9, which are involved in epithelial–mesenchymal transition, were observed. Second, elevated expression of EphA2 receptor, not ephrin-A1, was notable in the neoplastic cells, suggesting morphological changes reminiscent of epithelial–mesenchymal transition and ligand-independent promotion of tumor cell migration and invasion.

Conclusions

We report a case of adenoid cystic carcinoma with perineural spread and provide the first published evidence that EphA2 expression without ephrin-A1 and epithelial–mesenchymal transition might play important roles in adenoid cystic carcinoma progression.

【 授权许可】

   
2014 Fukai et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

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