{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,2]],"date-time":"2026-07-02T01:52:09Z","timestamp":1782957129879,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":54,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"20","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,20]],"date-time":"2025-10-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1760918400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003977","name":"Israel Science Foundation","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["343\/22"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["343\/22"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003977","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100000780","name":"European Commission","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["HORIZON-HLTH-2022-STAYHLTH-02: 101095697"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["HORIZON-HLTH-2022-STAYHLTH-02: 101095697"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100000780","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"name":"BiND Department-School of Medicine-University of Palermo Italy"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study explores immunophenotypic and angiogenic profiles in salivary gland tumors (SGTs), focusing on epithelial\u2013mesenchymal dynamics and immune\u2013stromal interactions. Immunohistochemical analysis of E-cadherin, Vimentin, mast cell tryptase (MCT), CD300a, CK18, CD31, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was performed in normal salivary tissue, pleomorphic adenomas (PA), and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) to assess epithelial plasticity, mast cell (MC) involvement, and vascular remodeling. Normal glands showed compartmentalized E-cadherin (epithelial) and Vimentin (mesenchymal) expression, with stromal MCs positive for MCT and CD300a. PA exhibited reduced E-cadherin, increased Vimentin, and atypical co-localization of CK18 with MCT\/CD300a in ductal cells, indicating immune\u2013epithelial plasticity. SCC displayed epithelial\u2013mesenchymal transition (EMT), architectural disruption, and reduced MCT\/CD300a. Notably, diminished MCT may reflect either decreased MCs density or prior degranulation, with possible diffuse MCT in stroma. Angiogenic profiling showed maximal CD31 in PA and minimal in SCC, while VEGF peaked in normal tissue, suggesting deregulated angiogenesis. SGT progression involves immune\u2013epithelial plasticity, vascular deregulation, and stromal reprogramming. Immune marker localization within epithelial cells challenges histogenetic models and may inform prognostic assessment and targeted therapeutic strategies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms262010199","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,20]],"date-time":"2025-10-20T13:54:41Z","timestamp":1760968481000},"page":"10199","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Epithelial-Immune Cell Crosstalk in Salivary Gland Tumors: Implications for Tumor Progression and Diagnostic Assessment"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"26","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6204-9032","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Martina","family":"Sausa","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giuseppe","family":"Vergilio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6491-3640","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rosario","family":"Barone","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rossana","family":"Porcasi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (PROMISE), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6885-1907","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Prince","family":"Ofori","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Unit, Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91120, Israel"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fatima Azhraa","family":"Haddad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Unit, Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91120, Israel"},{"name":"Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Hadassah Medical Center, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91120, Israel"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6610-5268","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francesca","family":"Rappa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0620-2810","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francesca","family":"Levi-Schaffer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Unit, Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91120, Israel"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6904-5141","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Angelo","family":"Leone","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy"},{"name":"Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Unit, Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91120, Israel"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"279","DOI":"10.21873\/cdp.10036","article-title":"Squamous Cell Carcinoma Ex Pleomorphic Adenoma of the Parotid Gland: Unusual Entity and Diagnostic Pitfalls","volume":"1","author":"Liu","year":"2021","journal-title":"Cancer Diagn. 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