EZH2 is a sensitive marker of malignancy in salivary gland tumors

BACKGROUND The immunohistochemical detection of Enhancer of zeste homologue 2 (EZH2) proved to be a useful tool to recognize the malignant nature of tumors in a wide variety of neoplasms. The histological diagnostics of salivary gland tumors is a challenging task, and a reliable marker of malignancy would be extremely helpful. METHODS EZH2 expression was investigated in 54 malignant and 40 benign salivary gland tumors of various histological types by standard immunohistochemistry. RESULTS The majority (n = 52) of the malignant tumors stained positively, while all the investigated benign tumors were negative for EZH2. CONCLUSIONS EZH2 expression in salivary gland tumors, similarly to the tumors of other organs is not characteristic for any tumor type, but is a solid marker of the malignant nature of the tumors.