Abstract:

Introduction: Salivary gland cancers impose a huge part in oral and maxillofacial pathologies. Mucoepidermoid (MEC) and adenoid cystic carcinomas (ACC) are salivary malignancies, where (MEC) being the most common cancer. CD44, is a family of transmembrane non-kinase cell surface glycoproteins, that was broadly used as a marker for cancer stem cells (CSCs) in various malignancies. CD44 was found to be overexpressed in various types of cells including cancer stem cells (CSCs) and it has been postulated that CD44 has a part in carcinogenesis. Natural killer (NK) cells are one of the components of the innate immune system, which express the phenotypic marker CD56 in the absence of CD3, and has a vital role in tumor-cell surveillance. This study aimed to assess the expression of CD44 and CD56 in different grades of mucoepidermoid carcinomas and different patterns of adenoid cystic carcinoma, and correlate between the expressions of the markers (CD44 and CD56) in different grades and patterns of the tumors.

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