Prognostic role of p21WAF1 expression in areca quid chewing and smoking-associated oral squamous cell carcinoma in Taiwan.
BACKGROUND
Alterations in p21WAF1 protein expression have been observed in a wide variety of human cancers by immunohistochemistry, and both decreased and increased levels of p21WAF1 protein expression have been shown to correlate with poor prognosis.


METHODS
To examine the relation between p21WAF1 protein expression and prognosis in oral squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), we performed an immunohistochemical study with antip21WAF1 antibody on 43 oral SCCs. Immunostaining results were then correlated with p53 protein levels, clinicopathological parameters of the tumors and overall patient survival.


RESULTS
Of the 43 patients, 31 (72%) had tumors with positive p21WAF1 nuclear staining and 27 (63%) had tumors with p53 nuclear staining. There was no significant correlation between p21WAF1 and p53 protein expressions and both mutant p53-containing oral SCCs overexpressed p21WAF1 protein. In addition, no significant correlation was found between the p21WAF1 expression and the patients' age, sex, oral habit, cancer location, or primary tumor TNM status at the time of initial presentation. The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a significant correlation between p21WAF1 protein overexpression and poor patient overall survival (P = 0.049). When p53 and p21WAF1 were evaluated together, the 5-year overall survival was lowest in p53(+)-p21WAF1(+) patients and highest in p53(-)-p21WAF1(-) patients (P = 0.057).


CONCLUSIONS
Combined evaluation of p21WAF1 and p53 expressions may be useful in estimating the prognosis of patients with oral SCCs in Taiwan.
Yen-Ping Kuo
Mark
M
School of Dentistry, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Huang
Jehn-Shyun
JS
Kok
Sang-Heng
SH
Kuo
Ying-Shiung
YS
Chiang
Chun-Pin
CP
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000906:Antibodies; D001114:Areca / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004396:Coloring Agents; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D016213:Cyclins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D015996:Survival Rate; D013624:Taiwan; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics
D000906:Antibodies; C493956:CDKN1A protein, human; D004396:Coloring Agents; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D016213:Cyclins; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53