[Expressions of P16 and nm23-H1 in nasopharyngeal cacinoma and their clinical significance].
OBJECTIVE
To examine the expressions of P16 and nm23-H(1) protein in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and explore their association with clinicopathology and the level of argyrophilic protein of the nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs) of peripheral blood T lymphocyte (T-AgNORs) before radiotherapy.


METHODS
SP immunohistochemistry was used to detect P16 and nm23-H(1) expressions in 65 cases of NPC, and the level of T-AgNORs was measured before radiotherapy.


RESULTS
The positivity rate of P16 and nm23-H(1) protein in NPC was 24.6% (16/65) and 61.5% (40/65), respectively. The positivity rates of P16 and nm23-H(1) protein in patients in T(1) and T(2) stages were higher than those in patients in T(3) and T(4) stages, but the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). No significant association of P16 expression was noted with lymph node metastasis and post-radiotherapy distant metastasis (P>0.05). In patients with regional lymph node and distant metastases, the positivity rates for nm23-H(1) were 51.2% (21/41) and 33.3% (5/15), which were significantly lower than those in patients without local lymph node (79.2%, 9/24;X(2)= 4.99, P<0.05) or distant metastasis (70%, 35/50; X(2)=7.56, P<0.01). The levels of T-AgNORs in P16- and nm23-positive cases were higher than those in the negative cases (t=5.721, P<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
nm23-H(1) expression in NPC tissue is correlated with NPC metastasis and may be useful for clinical prediction of local lymph node and distant metastases after radiotherpay. nm23 and p16 expressions are also correlated with the level of T-AgNORs, which probably indicate the immune functions of the patients.
Chen
Shan-Yi
SY
Department of Radiation Oncology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Medical College of Jinan University, Shenzhen 518020, China. chensyi2002@yahoo.com.cn
Wang
Xiu-Qing
XQ
Li
Xian-Ming
XM
Chen
Yi-Xin
YX
Wu
Chao-Quan
CQ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D034961:Antigens, Nuclear / Q000097:blood; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D019942:Genes, p16; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054778:NM23 Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinases; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000097:blood; D009701:Nucleoside-Diphosphate Kinase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16; D054778:NM23 Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinases; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C051963:nucleolar organizer region associated proteins; C517938:NME1 protein, human; D009701:Nucleoside-Diphosphate Kinase