title: The detection of the c-myc and ras oncogenes in nasopharyngeal carcinoma by immunohistochemistry.
abstract: Forty-one paraffin embedded specimens of primary nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) were examined to investigate the expression of c-myc and ras oncogenes. Sections were stained with the monoclonal antibodies myc 1-9E10 or ras Y13-259 and binding was detected using the ABC method. The intensity of staining for each tumour was assessed as nil, moderate or intense. The results indicated that 9 (22%) had intense staining for the c-myc oncogene, 28 (68%) had moderate staining and only 4 (10%) showed no staining. For the ras oncogene, 8 (19%) had intense staining, 22 (54%) moderate staining and 11 (27%) showed no staining. The patient's clinical data indicated no correlation between the expression of either c-myc or ras p21 and age, sex, smoking, tumour stage, antibody titre to EBV, or family history. No correlation was found between ras p21 expression and survival; however, overexpression of the c-myc oncogene correlated with a poor prognosis (p < 0.05). This study is consistent with investigations demonstrating that c-myc expression correlates with poor survival in head and neck tumours.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Porter
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Field
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Spandidos
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: van Hasselt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D016259:Genes, myc / Q000235:genetics; D011905:Genes, ras / Q000235:genetics; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012907:Smoking; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007070:Immunoglobulin A