Expression of p53, MDM2, p21, heat shock protein 70, and HPV 16/18 E6 proteins in oral verrucous carcinoma and oral verrucous hyperplasia

Abstract

Oral verrucous hyperplasia is a precancerous lesion of oral verrucous carcinoma. This study used immunohistochemistry to examine the expression of p53, murine double minute 2 (MDM2), p21, heat shock protein 70 (HSP 70), and human papillomavirus (HPV) 16/18 E6 proteins in 48 oral verrucous carcinoma and 30 oral verrucous hyperplasia samples. The mean labeling indices of p53, MDM2, p21, HSP 70, and HPV 16/18 E6 proteins in oral verrucous carcinoma samples were 21%, 31%, 7%, 17%, and 0.5%, respectively, and those in oral verrucous hyperplasia samples were 19%, 35%, 11%, 14%, and 0.3%, respectively. Immunohistochemistry with the above-cited 5 biomarkers could not help differentiate oral verrucous hyperplasia from oral verrucous carcinoma. The low expression of p21 may partially explain abnormal epithelial overgrowth in both verrucous lesions. The pathogenesis of both verrucous lesions may be at least partially attributed to the overexpression of MDM2 protein and moderate expression of HSP 70 protein in both lesions.