TERT Promoter Mutation in Benign and Malignant Salivary Gland Tumors; A Cross-Sectional Study
Background & Objective:
Telomere-related tumorigenesis mechanisms in the salivary gland,
including mutation in the promoter region of TERT, have been rarely
investigated. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the
mutation in the promoter region of TERT in benign and malignant salivary
gland tumors.
Methods: This was a
descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study. Tissue samples of 54
patients with primary salivary gland tumors sent to the pathology
department of Rasool-e-Akram Hospital from September 2017 to September
2021 were examined. Fifteen samples including two groups of the most
common benign tumors (n=5; 3 pleomorphic adenomas and 2 Warthin tumors)
and four groups of the most common malignant tumors (n=10; 3
mucoepidermoid carcinomas, 3 adenoid cystic carcinomas, 2 acinic cell
carcinoma, and 2 salivary duct carcinoma) were selected. The promoter
region of TERT, including well-known hot spot regions, is sequenced
using the Sanger sequencing method. Data were analyzed using statistical
software R version 4.1.2.
Results: Of 15 salivary
gland tumor specimens, consisting of 5 benign tumors and 10 malignant
tumors after DNA sequencing, TERT promoter region mutation was only seen
in one of the adenoid cystic carcinoma samples, located at -146 bp
upstream from ATG (chr5: 1,295,250 C>T).
Conclusion:
TERT promoter mutation was not different in malignant and benign
salivary tumors. Nonetheless, there are a few studies that report TERT
promoter mutation in adenoid cystic carcinoma of the salivary gland,
necessitating the need for further investigations.
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