MASPIN EXPRESSION IN PLEOMOPHIC ADENOMA, POLYMORPHOUS LOW GRADE ADENOCARCINOMA AND ADENOCYSTIC ADENOCARCINOMA OF SALIVARY GLANDS SEEN AT THE LAGOS UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL, LAGOS, NIGERIA

Objectives To immunostain with Maspin antibody, formalin fixed, paraffin embedded tissues of 41 samples of Pleomorphic Salivary Adenoma [PSA], 10 samples of Polymorphous Low-Grade Adenocarcinoma [PLGA] and 34 samples of Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma [AdCC]. To quantitatively assess Maspin expression in each of the three (3) Salivary Gland Tumours (SGTs) by combining immunostaining intensity scores with scores of proportion of positively stained cells (Total mean scores) in each, using the method described by Reiner et al 1990. To analyze data using Chi square, Fisher's Exact tests and analysis of variance to compare total mean scores of maspin expression among the three (3) SGTs, the statistical significance level being set at p Findings PSA had the greatest proportion of Maspin immunopositivity (73.2%), followed by PLGA (40.0%) and AdCC (35.2%). Mean total Maspin score of PSA (3.5±2.4) was statistically significantly higher than that of PLGA (1.2±1.8) [p=0.005]. and that of AdCC (1.0±1.5) [p Conclusion In this study, there was decreasing expression of Maspin from PSA to PLGA to AdCC, which is consistent with established increased order of clinical aggression of these tumors. It is suggested that Maspin expression could be a useful adjunct diagnostic tool to discriminate between PSA, PLGA and AdCC.