Expression and clinical implications of P53, P63, and P73 protein in malignant tumor of the parotid gland.

Abstract

To investigate the expression of P53, P63, and P73 proteins in malignant parotid gland tumors and adjacent nonneoplastic tissues and the association between the 3 proteins and their clinical characteristics. A total of 40 pairs of paraffin-embedded malignant parotid gland tumors and adjacent nonneoplastic tissues were collected. We detected P53, P63, and P73 protein expression by immunohistochemistry. Statistical analysis was performed by using the chi-square test. P53, P63, and P73 protein expression in malignant parotid gland tumors was higher than their expression in adjacent nonneoplastic tissue (P = 0.030, 0.001, and 0.001, respectively). Expression of P53, P63, and P73 proteins was not associated with age, sex, or lymph node metastasis (P > 0.05). Expression of P53 and P73 proteins, instead of the P63 protein, was correlated to the degree of malignancy (P = 0.026 and 0.018, respectively). There was no significant difference among the P53, P73, and P63 proteins in malignant parotid gland tumors (P > 0.05). In the follow-up, only one patient died of colon cancer. Our results suggest that the P53, P63, and P73 proteins may play a role in the development of malignant parotid gland tumors and provide data for their diagnosis.