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. 2025 Oct 31;25(1):1678.
doi: 10.1186/s12885-025-15129-1.

Expression of CD73 and VEGF in salivary gland carcinomas: associations with clinicopathological characteristics in Vietnamese population

Tuan Duc Nguyen  1 , Hong Thi Nguyen  2 , Chau Giang Huynh  3 , Truc Thanh Thai  4 , Truong Xuan Bui  5 , Tu Anh Thai  5 , Tu Thanh Duong  6 , Minh Duc Nguyen  1 , Dung Anh Vo  1 , Uy Van Pham  1 , Dung Huynh Thi Nguyen  1 , Anh Nguyet Thi Nguyen  7
Affiliations

Expression of CD73 and VEGF in salivary gland carcinomas: associations with clinicopathological characteristics in Vietnamese population

Tuan Duc Nguyen et al. BMC Cancer. .

Abstract

Background: Salivary gland carcinoma is a rare malignancy with diverse histological subtypes and poor prognosis, particularly when diagnosed at advanced stages. Recent evidence suggests that biomarkers such as CD73 and VEGF may play important roles in tumor progression and immune evasion, yet limited studies have evaluated their expression and clinical significance in Southeast Asian populations. This study aimed to determine the expression rates of CD73 and VEGF in salivary gland carcinoma and identify clinicopathological factors associated with their expression in a Vietnamese patient cohort.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 111 salivary gland carcinoma patients who underwent surgical treatment in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Immunohistochemical analysis of CD73, VEGF, and Ki-67 expression was performed on paraffin-embedded tumor samples. Logistic regression models were used to identify factors independently associated with biomarker expression.

Results: CD73 and VEGF were expressed in 53.2% and 66.7% of salivary gland carcinoma cases, respectively. CD73 expression was significantly associated with female gender (OR = 2.74, 95% CI 1.07-7.01), tumor stage T2 (OR = 6.59, 95% CI 1.36-31.90) and T4 (OR = 9.13, 95% CI 1.68-49.66), mucoepidermoid carcinoma subtype (OR = 10.62, 95% CI 2.77-40.69), and higher Ki-67 levels (OR = 3.61 per 10% increase, 95% CI 1.26-10.31). In contrast, lymph node level N2 was inversely associated with CD73 (OR = 0.08, 95% CI 0.01-0.70). VEGF expression was independently more likely in patients with normal body mass index compared to those who were overweight or obese (OR = 0.30 for overweight/obese vs. normal, 95% CI 0.12-0.78), and was also associated with increased Ki-67 expression (OR = 2.95, 95% CI 1.09-7.99).

Conclusions: High expression rates of CD73 and VEGF suggest their potential as prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in salivary gland carcinoma. Their associations with tumor stage, histology, BMI, and proliferation index (Ki-67) highlight the need for further research on personalized treatments. These findings provide important insights into biomarker expression in Vietnamese salivary gland carcinoma patients and lay the groundwork for biomarker-driven therapeutic strategies.

Keywords: Biomarker; CD73; Immunohistochemistry; Ki-67; Personalized medicine; Prognosis; Salivary gland carcinoma; VEGF; Vietnam.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was conducted in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations. All study procedures were reviewed and approved by the Biomedical Research Ethics Committee of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City (Approval No: 406/ĐHYD-HĐ, dated October 25th, 2017) and the Ethics Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital (Approval No: 2912/BVUB-CĐT, dated December 21 st, 2017). This study involved no interventional procedures on patients. Tissue samples were collected from FFPE already stored at the hospital for the purposes of H&E staining and immunohistochemistry. All participants were fully informed about the study’s objectives, procedures, and their rights, and they provided written informed consent. Personal information of patients was kept strictly confidential. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow chart of patient selection
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Clinicopathological factors independently associated with CD73 and VEGF expression
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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