Rapid tissue microarray assay of p16 protein expression for different stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To effectively screen p16 protein expression of different clinical stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) by constructing and applying high-throughput tissue microarray/tissue chip.


METHODS
A series of tissue chips were prepared by using tissue arrayer with samples from different clinical stage NPC tumors and noncancerous nasopharynx tissue. Specimens from 259 cases of nasopharyngeal lesions were detected immunohistochemically on a tissue chip for p16 protein expression and the correlation of p16 protein expression to clinical stage of NPC was analyzed statistically.


RESULTS
p16 protein expression was detected in all 18 histologically normal nasopharyngeal epithelia. No p16 protein was detected in 3 of 3 (100%) stage I NPC, 38 of 44 (86.3%) stage II NPC, 59 of 68 (86.8%) stage III NPC, 23 of 28 (82.1%) stage IV NPC, 87 of 98 (88.8%) unclear stage NPC. The efficiency of p16 protein expression in NPC tissues was significantly lower than that in normal nasopharyngeal epithelia (chi(2) = 82.58, P < 0.001), and there was no apparent relationship between p16 protein expression and clinical stages (chi(2) = 0.09, P = 0.769).


CONCLUSIONS
The frequent deletion of p16 protein in NPC suggests that p16 gene has an important role in the development and progression of NPC. The consistency of p16 protein deletion in different stages of NPC suggests that the deletion of p16 protein is an early event in the development of NPC, and it is feasible to utilize tissue microarray for a rapid, economic and accurate screening of clinical tissue specimens on a large scale.
Zhang
Linjie
L
Department of Etiology, Cancer Institute, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou 510060. China (Email: yxzeng@gzsums.edu.cn)
Fang
Yan
Y
Huang
Bijun
B
Hou
Jinghui
J
Zhao
Meiqing
M
Li
Huimei
H
Zeng
Yixin
Y
D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging
D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16