Vol. 27, No. 1, 2005 (March)
	Content

INTEGRIN RECEPTORS AND EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX COMPONENTS IN PAROTID NEOPLASMS

Konstantinos Charalabopoulos¹, Evanthia Mittari^1,2, Christos Golias¹, Dimitrios Peschos³, Anna Batistatou³

¹Department of Physiology Clinical Unit, Medical Faculty, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
²Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medical Faculty, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
³Department of Pathology, Medical Faculty, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece

Abstract. In the review, the role of integrin receptors as well as of some of their ligands of the extracellular matrix in cases of parotid neoplasms is discussed, in particular, the data concerning the expression of various types of integrin adhesion molecules in benign and malignant tumors of the parotid, the expression of fibronectin, tenascin, and collagen type IV etc. The role of dysregulation of the expression of these proteins in invasion and metastasis of parotid tumors is discussed.

Key Words: adhesion molecules, integrins, extacellular matrix, Warthin’s tumor, oncocytoma, undifferentiated carcinoma of the parotid gland, adenoid cystic carcinoma, tenascin, fibronectin, collagen type IV.

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