Expression And Clinical Significance Of â–³Np63 And TAp63 Protein In Hypopharyneal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Objective To investigate the expression of△Np63 and TAp63 protein in hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma(HSCC), papillary epithelioma(HPE) and normal mucosa(HNM) and the role of△Np63 and TAp63 gene aberration may be involved in HSCC .Methods The△Np63 and TAp63 protein expression was detected by immunohistochemistry in 34 cases of HSCC , 6 cases of HPE , 8 cases of HNM .Results (1) The mean proportion of positive cells of△Np63 protein in HNM , HPE , HSCC was (20.3±5.4)%,(41.7±22.3)%(,66.5±18.7)% respectively , and increased with poorer differentiation , but no correlation was found with TNM stage and lymph node metastasis in HSCC (p>0.05) . (2) The mean proportion of positive cells of TAp63 protein in HNM , HPE , HSCC was (14.1±4.7)%,(8.4±9.2)%, (2.3±5.9)%,respectively , but no correlation was found with differentiation and TNM stage and lymph node metastasis in HSCC (p>0.05) .Conclusion Abnormal expression of△Np63 and TAp63 protein may be involved in the early phases of hypopharyngeal tumorigenesis .△Np63 protein over expression and TAp63 protein down-regulation may play a pivotal role in hypopharyngeal tumorigenesis and is correlated with the differentiation , but is not correlated with clinical stage and lymph node metastasis in HSCC.