p53 mutation, but not p53 overexpression, correlates with survival in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Survival in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) was compared with overexpression and mutation of the p53 gene. Archival tissue from 77 tumours was analysed for protein expression using immunohistochemistry (IHC) with the monoclonal antibody Do-7, and for the presence of mutation in exons 5-8 using single-stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP), followed by DNA sequencing in SSCP-positive cases. p53 expression was scored as high (>70% nuclei stained) in 25 (32%) tumours, as intermediate (10-70% nuclei stained) in 19 (25%) tumours and as low (160 months among non-mutated patients (P < 0.005). There was no correlation between p53 overexpression and survival. The results suggest that p53 mutation status is an important prognostic factor in HNSCC, and that IHC analysis of protein overexpression is an inadequate measure of gene mutation in these tumours.