There have been very few studies on the expression of Centromere proteins in human salivary gland carcinomas. The purpose of this study was to clarify the correlation between Centromere protein H (CENP-H) expression and clinicopathologic factors in salivary gland carcinomas. The expression of CENP-H mRNA was investigated in 28 human salivary gland tumors (7 pleomorphic adenomas, 3 Warthin tumors, 6 mucoepidermoid carcinomas, 6 adenoid cystic carcinomas, 5 acinic cell carcinomas and 1 malignant myoepithelioma) and 8 normal submandibular glands using real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The labeling index of PCNA and Ki-67 were also investigated immunohistochemically in 16 salivary gland carcinomas. The mean expression level of CENP-H mRNA was significantly higher in malignant tumors (0.55 ± 0.68) than normal submandibular glands (0.10 ± 0.029). A significant correlation between the PCNA labeling index and CENP-H mRNA expression was also found (Spearman's correlation coefficient by rank test, P=0.033). We also found a significant correlation between the Ki-67 labeling index and CENP-H mRNA expression in malignant tumors (Spearman's correlation coefficient by rank test, P=0.040). These results indicate that human CENP-H mRNA is closely linked to increased or abnormal cell proliferation in malignant salivary gland tumors.