title: Immunohistochemical analysis of p16 expression, HPV infection and its prognostic utility in oral squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Functional inactivation of p16 is an early and frequent event in the carcinogenesis of tumours of the head and neck region. However, the prognostic relevance of p16 protein expression for these tumours has been controversial. This study aims to examine immunohistochemical expression of p16 and HP virus in a large number of oral carcinomas, and possible correlation with clinical features of the tumours and survival of the patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two tissue microarrays composed of 222 oral carcinomas and 427 squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck region were used for this study. Sections were stained immunohistochemically (anti-p16), and PCR analysis (HPV status) was carried out. Correlation of p16 expression/HPV status with features of tumours and with survival of the patients was analysed by means of Chi-squared test and using Kaplan-Meier analysis, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  p16 expression was found immunohistochemically in 74% of tumours, but was not significantly correlated with features of the tumours, but recurrence-free survival of the patients (P = 0.009) if located predominantly nuclear. On the other hand neither intensity of p16 expression (P = 0.41) nor HPV status (P = 0.82) had any effect on these two aspects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Immunohistochemical expression of p16 alone provides a limited tool for diagnosis and prognosis of carcinomas of the head and neck region. Immunohistochemical analysis of p16 depending on its intracellular location might serve as a surrogate marker for HPV infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gröbe
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hanken
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kluwe
authors.forename: Maximilian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schöllchen
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tribius
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pohlenz
authors.forename: Till
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Clauditz
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Grob
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sauter
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heiland
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blessmann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D052685:Alphapapillomavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000473:pathology; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16 / Q000032:analysis*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D052162:Human papillomavirus 16 / Q000302:isolation & purification; D052161:Human papillomavirus 18 / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000821:virology*; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16
keywords: head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC); oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC); p16; prognostic relevance