Correlations among Tumor Microvessel Density, p53 Protein Expression, and Cervical Lymph Node Metastasis in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck / 대한이비인후과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Angiogenesis is a crucial step in tumor growth and progression, and regulated by the net balance between positive and negative angiogenic factors. Recent studies suggested that angiogenesis is controlled by p53 regulation. immunohistochemical study was carried out using monoclonal antibodies against p53 protein and CD34. In this study, immunohistochemical study was carried out using monoclonal antibodies against p53 protein and CD34 in order to determine the relationship between p53 protein expression and angiogenesis in squamous cell carcinoma in the head and neck. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Tumor tissues from 35 cases of paraffin block specimens of head and neck cancers were used from the archives of Department of Pathology in Chonnam University hospital to study the relationship between p53 protein expression and angiogenesis. RESULTS: p53 protein expression was present in 20 (57.1%) of 35 cases and the median micro-vessel count (MVD) was 49.0 (9-126) in x200 microscopic field. MVD was 45.5 (20-126) in cases with p53 protein expression and 50.0 (9-108) in cases without p53 protein expression. There was no statistical significance between MVD and p53 protein expression. An inverse relationship was seen between MVD and primary tumor size. P53 protein expression was not associated with nodal metastasis and primary tumor size. CONCLUSION: There were no significant relations between MVD and p53 protein expression, nor among MVD, p53 and nodal metastasis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.