title: Prognostic significance of p21WAF1/CIP1, p16INK4a and CD44s in tongue cancer.
abstract: The role of lost or reduced expression of p21, p16 and CD44s in the survival of tongue cancer patients was investigated. Tumours and adjacent non-tumour epithelia (ANTE) from 36 patients with tongue cancer were retrospectively studied by immunohistochemistry using monoclonal antibodies against p21, p16 and CD44s proteins. Expression of p21, p16 and CD44s and their relationship with clinical and pathological parameters were analyzed. Of 36 patients, 12 (33.33%) developed recurrence and 12 died of the disease (mean survival, 25.5 months). In four cases (11.1%), concomitant low expression (<50% of tumour cells) of p21, p16 and CD44s was detected but had no effect on survival or recurrence in the univariate analysis. In the multivariate analysis, low expression of CD44s was the sole prognostic factor related to survival (p=0.01, hazards ratio: 0.749). There was no expression of p21, p16 or CD44s in ANTE from 3 out of 24 cases studied, and this finding was related to recurrence in the univariate analysis. In the multivariate analysis, low expression of CD44s in ANTE was again the sole factor related to recurrence (p=0.002, hazards ratio: 0.028). In conclusion, low expression of CD44s is related to tumour cell invasiveness and may be of clinical relevance as a prognostic factor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine, School of Dentistry, Granda University, Granada, Spain. magonzal@ugr.es
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: González-Moles
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Gil-Montoya
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Avila
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Esteban
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delgado-Rodriguez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bascones-Martinez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16 / Q000032:analysis*; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21 / Q000032:analysis*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000032:analysis*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: C497483:CD44 protein, human; C493956:CDKN1A protein, human; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors