p53 Protein Expression in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma

SAUVARAT AUEPEMKIATE, M.D.*, PLEUMJIT BOONYAPHIPHAT, M.Sc.*, HUTCHA SRIPLUNG, M.D.*

Affiliation : * Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand.

AbstractBackground : p53 is a nucleoprotein encoded by a tumor suppressor gene. It's mutations are implicated in the genesis of a wide variety of malignant neoplasia including skin cancers.
Objective : To study the expression of the p53 protein in cutaneous squamous cell car- cinoma (SCCs) and evaluate the relationships between this expression and sites, varying degrees of differentiation and amounts of apoptotic cells.
Method : Sixty-seven tissue samples of SCCs from Songklanagarind Hospital obtained from January 1991 to December 1996 were examined by immunohistochemistry using polyclonal anti p53-CM1. (Novocastra Laboratories, Newcastle, England, dilution 1 :700) Result: p53 Immunoreactivity was demonstrated in 26.87 per cent of SCCs. This was observed in 15/51 of sun-exposed cases and 3/16 of sun-protected cases (p = 0.401). The more differentiated the tumor, the less p53 staining was observed (p = 0.043). There was no association between p53 positivity and the amounts of apoptotic cells.
Conclusion : The p53 expression is not related to the sun exposure. It does not represent a commitment to apoptosis. However, it may indicate the differentiation and/or proliferative status of the tumor cells.

Keywords : p53, Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma

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