title: Flow cytometry expression of p53 and PCNA in oral/oropharynx carcinomas and their lymph node metastases.
abstract: The aim of this work was to characterize p53 and PCNA expression in primary tumours and lymph node metastases of oral/oropharynx carcinomas by flow cytometry and to evaluate the possibility of a relationship between these parameters in primary tumours and locoregional metastasis, clinical-histopathological parameters and survival time. A group of 28 patients was retrospectively selected: 13 with metastasis and 15 without metastasis. The following clinical and histopathological parameters were considered: degree of keratinization, Broders' grading of histological differentiation, invasive cell grading, thickness and tumour size. The nuclei of appropriately prepared cells were stained using anti-p53 and anti-PCNA FITC conjugated monoclonal antibodies. Analyses were performed by a Coulter Epics Elite flow cytometer. The following results were obtained: a close relationship between p53 and PCNA in primary tumours but no correlation between them and clinical-histopathological parameters; no correlation between p53 and PCNA expression in primary tumours and in lymph node metastasis; no correlation between p53 and PCNA values in primary tumours and survival. In conclusion, the difference in expression of these biological parameters in primary tumours and in lymph node metastases supports the theory that tumour cells in lymph nodes can display an independent behaviour. Since these biological parameters fail to correlate either with clinical-histopathological parameters or survival, their prognostic role is questionable.
authors.affiliation: Flow Cytometry Centre, University of Trieste, via Pietà, 19, 34124 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sidari
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tirelli
authors.forename: Ledia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Papanikolla
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sasso
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Russolo
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melato
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53