SIGNIFICANCE OF P73 AND P21WAF1 EXPRESSION IN NASOPHARYNGEAL CARCINOMA

ABSTRACTObjective To study the expression of P73 and P21WAF1 and their correlation with clinicopathological in nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC).Methods Immunohistochemical (IHC) method was used to detect the proteins of p P73 and P21WAF1 in 84 patients of NPC and 20 cases of chronic nasopharyngitis(CN) as well as the proteins of p53 in NPC.The relationship between the expression of P73 or P21WAF1 proteins and the clinicopathological factors of NPC were analyzed.Results (1) The positive expression rates of P73 and P21WAF1 in NPC were 51.2%(43/84) and 42.9%(36/84),respectively,both were significantly higher than those of CN (15% and 10%, respectively) (p<0.05).(2) P73 expression was significantly lower in â… ,â…¡stage (27.8%) than â…¢,â…£stage(57.6%)(p<0.05), but was no remarkable difference in NPC without or with neck lymph node metastasis(p>0.05). p21WAF1 expression rates was significantly higher in stageâ… ,â…¡(66.7%) than stage â…¢,â…£(36.4%)(p<0.05) and higher in patients without neck lymph node metastasis(60%) than those with neck lymph node metastasis(35.6%)(p<0.05). There was no significant correlation between p73 or p21WAF1 expression and the different clinicopathologic factors(sex,recurrence,distant metastasis and survival rate)(p>0.05). (3) No significant association was found between the expression of P73 and P21WAF1 (p>0.05),the positive expression rate of p53 was 52.4%(44/84) and not correlated with p73 in NPC(p>0.05).Conclusion (1) P73 and P21WAF1are upregulated and may play important roles in the tumorigenesis and progress of NPC.(2)there was no correlation of p73 expression with p53 status or p21WAF1 expression...