ABSTRACT
Objective: To study the relationship between CXCL12/CXCR4 expression and the neural invasion of salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma (SACC). Methods: Totally 41 SACC specimens, 30 tongue cancer specimens, 20 pleomorphic adenoma specimens and 20 normal nerve specimens were included in the present study. The specimens were made into sections of 4 μm and EnVision method was used to detect the expression of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 in SACC sections and the expression of the chemokine CXCL12 in the peripheral nerve tissue sections. Results: The chemokine receptor was highly expressed in ACC cells. The positive rate of CXCR4 was 63.41% in the SACC sections, which was significantly higher than those in the tongue cancer group (36.67%) and the pleomorphic adenoma parotid group (35%) (P<0.05). The expression of CXCL12 was not significantly different between the nerve tissues of SACC, tongue cancer and the normal nerve tissues. Conclusion: The cbemokine CXCL12 is elevated in the SACC cells and its receptor CXCR4 is elevated in the peripheral nerve tissues, indicating a role of the biological axis of CXCL12/CXCR4 in the neural invasion of salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma.