Objective: To examine expressions of chemokine receptor CXCR4 and its ligand CXCL12 in primary focus and lymphogenous metastasis of salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) with lung metastasis. Methods: Using immunohistochemical hypersensitivity catalyzed signal amplification (CSA), expressions of chemokine receptor CXCR4 and ligand CXCL12 were detected in tissue specimens from 20 cases of primary cancer focus and lymphogenous metastasis of salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma, of which 7 cases were associated with lung metastasis and 3 with lympogenous metastasis. Twenty cases of tongue carcinoma (including 10 cases with lymphogenous metastasis) and 15 cases of mucoepidermoid carcinoma (including 5 cases with lymphogenous metastasis) were used as the malignant control group;and salivary mixed tumor (n=10), tongue leukoceratosis (n=10) and cervical lymph node reactive hyperplasia (n=10) were used as the benign control group. Results: Expression of CXCR4 in the tissues and lymph metastases of oral and maxillofacial salivary ACC, mucoepidermoid carcinoma and tongue carcinoma was significantly higher than that of the benign control group (P<0.05); expression of CXCR4 in the primary focus of ACC was significantly higher than that of the malignant control group; and expression of CXCR4 in the ACC with lung metastasis was 87.1% (6/7), significantly higher than that without lung metastasis(P<0.01). There was evident positive expression of CXCL12 in endotheliocytes of microvessels within cancer and paracancer tissues and significantly high expression of CXCL12 in lymphogenous metastasis(P<0.05). Conclusion: Chemokine receptor CXCR4 and its ligand CXCL12 may be associated with local invasion and lymphogenous metastasis of oral and maxillofacial cancer, especially with lung metastasis of salivary ACC.
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