Quantification of TH ⁺ nerve sprouts in human salivary gland neoplasms. Immunostaining of human salivary gland neoplasms (Fig. 1 E) was performed using TH antibody. The number of TH⁺ nerve sprouts per tumor area assessed was quantified. The density of TH⁺ nerve sprouts was highest in ACC (0.29 ± 0.085/mm², n = 10), followed by polymorphous carcinoma (0.124 ± 0.029/mm², n = 3). No or minimal TH⁺ nerve sprouts were identified in mucoepidermoid carcinoma (0.000 ± 0.000/mm², n = 5), myoepithelial carcinoma (0.000 ± 0.000/mm², n = 4), acinic cell carcinoma (0.006 ± 0.004/mm², n = 8), or pleomorphic adenoma (0.000 ± 0.000/mm², n = 5). P values were determined by one-way ANOVA and Fisher’s LSD test. **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, ns: not significant.