Page 146 - New epidemiological and PSMA-expression based paradigms in salivary gland tumors
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  Chapter 9
(see Fig. 2B and 2C in the original paper), in contrast to and larger than labial duct openings.
Finally, Bikker and Vissink mention that salivary glands are known to secrete amylase. This was shown by Veerman et al. who investigated sectreted saliva that was collected from the parotid, submandibular and sublingual glands [14] . We investigated tubarial gland cells by immunohistochemistry (IHC), instead of collecting excreted fluid because of the risk of contamination by saliva of other glands. Our findings by IHC showed that amylase was expressed in neither the tubarial, nor the palatal and sublingual glands, in contrast to expression in the parotid gland (Fig. 3). Since these three gland locations thus did not differ using this sensitive method, there was no urgent reason to measure other proteins or enzymes as is suggested by the authors of the letter. However, an Alcian blue staining was performed for the 3D reconstruction slides, showing presence of mucin in the gland cells of the pharyngeal wall next to the auditory tube (Fig. 4). Further characterization of the tubarial glands by its protein excretion profile and stimuli for excretion as suggested, is however thankfully welcomed to provide more insight. The original authors invite the authors of the letter to do so in a constructive cooperation.
Figure 3: Amylase immunohistochemistry: tubarial gland (A), palatal glands (B), parotid gland (C), sublingual gland (D).
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