The co-expression of c-myc and p53 increases and reaches a plateau early in oral oncogenesis.
BACKGROUND
The balance between cell proliferation and apoptosis plays a significant role in cancer development. The expressions of the p53 and c-myc genes, both strongly related to cell proliferation and apoptosis, were studied in sequential histological grades of oral carcinogenesis in an animal model.


METHODS
Thirty-seven hamsters were divided into three groups (A,B,C), which were treated with 9,10-dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene and sacrificed at 10,14 or 19 weeks, respectively, after treatment. The histological status of the oral lesions in the experimental groups corresponded well with tumour advancement (from dysplasia to moderately-differentiated carcinoma). Tumour sections were studied immunohistochemically.


RESULTS
The expressions of both p53 and c-myc increased significantly in precancer stages and then reached a plateau. The same pattern was observed in the animal groups with the culmination of expression of both genes in group A.


CONCLUSIONS
The coexpression of p53 and c-myc proteins in the earlier stages of oral oncogenesis may be used for the early detection of premalignant lesions.
Papakosta
Veronica
V
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Athens Medical School, Mikras Asias 75, Athens 115 27, Greece.
Vairaktaris
Eleftherios
E
Vylliotis
Antonis
A
Derka
Spyridoula
S
Nkenke
Emeka
E
Vassiliou
Stavros
S
Lazaris
Andreas
A
Mourouzis
Constantinos
C
Rallis
Georgios
G
Spyridonidou
Sofia
S
Anagnostopoulou
Sofia
S
Perrea
Despina
D
Donta
Ismini
I
Yapijakis
Christos
C
Patsouris
Efstratios
E
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D001706:Biopsy; D048708:Cell Growth Processes / Q000502:physiology; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006224:Cricetinae; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53