[Expression of c-kit in North African nasopharyngeal carcinomas: correlation with age and LMP1].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the level and prognostic significance of c-kit expression in the two age groups of North African nasopharyngeal carcinomas.


METHODS
A retrospective study of 99 NPC specimens from Tunisian patients was investigated by immunohistochemistry. Immunohistochemical data were correlated with Epstein-Barr virus LMP1 expression and pathological, clinical and survival parameters.


RESULTS
c-kit was detected in 79% of the cases for patients under 30 years of age (juvenile form) but in only 56% of specimens in patients over 30 years (P=0.039) and was significantly over-expressed for patients with lymph node involvement (P=0.015). LMP1 score was 5.78 (+/-1.84) for c-kit negative tumors compared to 8,23 (+/-2.39) for c-kit positive tumors (P=0.002). Multivariate analysis including age, lymph nodes involvement and LMP1 expression as co-variables, showed that only age (P=0.027) and LMP1 expression (P=0.005) were significantly correlated to the c-kit expression.


CONCLUSIONS
c-kit is highly expressed in the juvenile form of North African nasopharyngeal carcinomas. There is a significant association between LMP1 and c-kit expression. The contrasted levels of C-kit expression in the two age groups strengthen the hypothesis that these clinical forms result from distinct oncogenic mechanisms.
Charfi
S
S
Laboratoire d'anatomie et de cytologie pathologiques, CHU Habib-Bourguiba, Sfax, Tunisie.
Khabir
A
A
Ayadi
L
L
Mseddi
M
M
Makni
H
H
Gorbel
A
A
Daoud
J
J
Frikha
M
M
Jlidi
R
R
Busson
P
P
Boudawara
T S
TS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D004396:Coloring Agents; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; D011379:Prognosis; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014416:Tunisia; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins
D004396:Coloring Agents; C037662:EBV-associated membrane antigen, Epstein-Barr virus; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit