Nucleolar organizer regions in malignant salivary gland tumors.

Proliferative activity of carcinomas arising from salivary glands was analyzed by enumeration of argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs). The mean numbers of AgNORs in the various tumors were as follows: mucoepidermoid carcinoma, 2.20; acinic cell carcinoma, 2.51; adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC), 2.57; carcinoma in pleomorphic adenoma, 1.00 (benign component) and 3.99 (cancer-bearing area); salivary duct carcinoma, 4.49; polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma, 3.37; sebaceous carcinoma, 2.57; oncocytic carcinoma, 4.63; adenocarcinoma, 4.53. Cells of most tumors showed heterogeneous activity within the same tumor. In mucoepidermoid carcinoma, the mucous cells had suppressed activity in comparison with the epidermoid cells and intermediate cells. In ACC, the activity of the tumor cells increased according to growth pattern in the order tubular, glandular and solid. In carcinoma in pleomorphic adenoma, vigorous proliferative activity was observed in the malignant component, whereas less active cells were seen in the myxoid or chondroid matrix. AgNOR staining was useful for distinguishing benign from malignant regions in carcinoma in pleomorphic adenoma. Our results suggest that mucoepidermoid carcinoma, acinic cell carcinoma and ACC, except for that with a solid growth pattern, may be considered as low-grade malignancies, whereas solid-type ACC, the cancer component in carcinoma in pleomorphic adenoma and some of the other carcinomas have high-grade malignant behavior.