Objective: To observe PCNA p53 gene expression and their relationship with clinicopathologic factors in primary nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC).
Method: PCNA, p53 proteins were assayed with immunohistochemical technique.
Result: The expression of p53 protein was 9.5% in chronic inflammation of nasopharyngeal epithelium(CINE), which was significantly lower than it in NPCs with 76.3% (P < 0.01). In NPCs. p53 gene expression was significantly correlated with cervical lymph node metastasis of NPCs (P < 0.01), The expression of p53 in stage II, III, lV (93.3%, 80.0% and 100% respectively) were significantly higher than that in stage I (40.0%) (P < 0.01), the expression of PCNA and p53 protein was highly correlated (P < 0.01).
Conclusion: The expression of p53 is the useful factor in diagnosis of NPC, the overexpression of p53 is related with the stage and cervical lymph node metastasis of NPC. And PCNA PI may represent the proliferative state of NPC, all of them may play important roles in the pathogenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.