Expression of the p53 protein in oral squamous cell carcinomas associated with Epstein-Barr virus.
The behaviour of the p53 protein has been investigated in some human carcinomas associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) but not in EBV-positive oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC). The present study aimed to compare the p53 protein expression in EBV-positive OSCC with that in EBV-negative OSCC. The cases had been gathered in a study previously published. An immunohistochemical technique with BP53-12 monoclonal antibody was applied on 74 of the 107 OSCC from the earlier work. The nuclear or cytoplasmic expression of the p53 protein was classified as, absent (0% of neoplastic cells positive), mild (<25% positive), moderate (25-30% positive), or extensive (>50% positive). The p53 protein was expressed by 60.8% of the OSCC. Out of the fourteen EBV-positive OSCC, 57.1% (8 cases) expressed p53, always in the nucleus and never in the cytoplasm. Of the 60 EBV-negative OSCC, 61.6% (37 cases) expressed the p53 protein. Of 37 cases 33 (89.1%) showed nuclear expression of p53 and nineteen cases (51.3%) revealed cytoplasmic expression. There was a statistically significant inverse correlation between cytoplasmic expression of the p53 protein and the presence of EBV DNA (p <0.01). Thus, the EBV-positive tumours less frequently expressed p53 in the cytoplasm. No evidence of an accumulation of the p53 protein in OSCC associated with EBV was recorded.
González-Moles
M A
MA
Department of Oral Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of Granada, Spain.
Galindo
P
P
Gutierrez
J
J
Rodriguez-Archilla
A
A
Ruiz-Avilla
I
I
Sanchez-Fernandez
E
E
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000150:complications*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism*
D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53