Abstract: To analyze the expressions of P63, Calponin and D2-40 in myoepithelial cells of salivary gland tumors and to investigate the value of D2-40 in identification of myoepithelial cells in salivary gland tumor. METHODS: Various types of salivary gland tumor specimens were collected during surgeries in affiliated Yijishan Hospital from January 2004 to January 2010. We used immunohistochemical technique (S-P) to examine the expressions of P63, Calponin and D2-40 in each salivary gland tumor organization. RESULTS: P63, Calponin, D2-40 were expressed in myoepithelial cells, and the expressions of P63, Calponin, D2-40 were 82.14%, 76.79% and 66.07%, respectively. D2-40 was expressed in polymorphic adenomas, adenoid cystic carcinoma, epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma and the expressions were 94.12%, 61.90% and 66.67%, respectively. D2-40 was not expressed in malignant polymorphic adenomas. The expression of D2-40 in polymorphic adenomas, tissues adjacent to the salivary gland malignancy and the cancerous tissues showed decreasing expressions that were significant (P＜0.05). CONCLUSION: D2-40 could be one kind of ideal salivary gland tumor myoepithelial cell marker. Low expression of D2-40 is probably an indicator of malignant progresion of salivary gland tumor.

Key words: P63, Calponin, D2-40, salivary gland tumors, myoepithelial cell