title: p21{Waf1/CIP1} is a poor diagnostic and prognostic marker for OSCC although its expression increases in patients with N1 regional metastasis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Downregulation of p21{Waf1/CIP1} (a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor) has been reported for mouth cancer. The goal of this article is to quantitatively report expression of p21{Waf1/CIP1} and evaluate its relationship with the clinical and prognostic factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  this is a retrospective study of 68 patients diagnosed with OSCC. We constructed a tissue microarray to develop an immunohistochemical assessment of p21{Waf1/CIP1} expression. A multivariate analysis using a forward-selection stepwise regression model (Cox, 1972) for predicting survival was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The quantitative expression of p21{Waf1/CIP1} showed a statistically significant relationship with the risk of lymph node metastasis, showing a higher expression in patients with homolateral single nodes of less than 3 cm (N1) (X{2}=6.58; p< 0.05). We found no statistically significant relationship with any other clinical or pathological parameters. The Cox univariate regression analysis verifies that the effect of the value of p21{Waf1/CIP1} on survival was not statistically significant (p=0.6). The best predictive multivariate Cox analysis included the covariates: recurrence, p21{Waf1/CIP1}, gender, stage, and dysplasia in the adjacent margin. All these variables showed a statistically significant relationship with survival, except p21{Waf1/CIP1}.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  quantitative determination of p21{Waf1/CIP1} standardizes and facilitates its analysis. Although its expression increases in patients with N1 regional metastasis, the loss of p21{WAF1/CIP1} does not seem to have any relationship with the clinical and pathological variables of the tumors.
authors.affiliation: Oral Surgery and Implantology Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pérez-Sayáns
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Forensic Sciences, University Hospital and School of Medicine, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: José Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Suárez-Peñaranda
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio Oncología Traslacional. Fundación Idichus, Spain.
authors.forename: Elena Padín
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Iruegas
authors.affiliation: Oral Surgery and Implantology Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: Miguel Reis
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: de Almeida
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Medicina Molecular, Fundación Pública Galega de Medicina Xenómica, Hospital Clinico Universitario, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barros-Angueira
authors.affiliation: Oral Surgery and Implantology Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: Mercedes Gallas
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Torreira
authors.affiliation: Oral Surgery and Implantology Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: Abel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García-García
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: C493956:CDKN1A protein, human; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21
keywords: cyclin-dependent kinases inhibitors; multivariate model of survival; oral squamous cell carcinoma; p21<formula>^{Waf1/CIP1}</formula>