Kouvidou C, Kanavaros P, Papaioannou D, Stathopoulos E, Sotsiou F, Datseris G, Tzardi M, Kittas C, Delides G
Department of Pathology, University Hospital, Heraklion.
Clin Mol Pathol. 1995 Feb;48(1):M17-22. doi: 10.1136/mp.48.1.m17.
Aims-To investigate the immunohistochemical expression of bcl-2 and p53 proteins in nasopharyngeal carcinomas in relation to the expression of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) encoded EBER messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and latent membrane protein-1 (LMP-1).Methods-Formalin fixed, paraffin wax embedded tissue from 44 nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPCs) was stained by immunohistochemistry for p53, bcl-2 and LMP-1 proteins and by RNA in situ hybridisation for EBER mRNAs.Results-The tumours were divided histologically into 13 cases of keratinising squamous cell NPC (KNPC), 15 cases of non-keratinising squamous cell NPC (NKNPC) and 16 cases of undifferentiated NPC (UNPC). Bcl-2 expression was observed in five of 15 NKNPC cases and in six of 16 UNPC cases; p53 expression was observed in one of 13 KNPC, two of 15 NKNPC and four of 16 UNPC cases. EBER 1-2 transcripts were detected in five of 15 NKNPC and nine of 16 UNPC cases, while LMP-1 expression was observed in one of 16 UNPC cases. All 13 KNPCs were EBV and bcl-2 negative. No correlation was found between the presence of EBER 1-2 transcripts and the detection of bcl-2 or p53 proteins, or both, in NPC cells.Conclusions-The expression of bcl-2 and p53 proteins may be associated with the level of the tumour cell differentiation in NPC. In addition, in view of the important role of the bcl-2 protein in the inhibition of apoptosis, the expression of bcl-2 protein may contribute to tumour cell survival in a proportion of NPCs. Furthermore, in the light of previous findings that the p53 gene in most UNPCs is in the wild-type configuration, mechanisms other than mutation may be responsible for stabilisation of the p53 protein in UNPCs.
目的——研究鼻咽癌中bcl-2和p53蛋白的免疫组化表达与爱泼斯坦-巴尔病毒（EBV）编码的EBER信使核糖核酸（mRNA）及潜伏膜蛋白-1（LMP-1）表达的关系。方法——对44例鼻咽癌（NPC）经福尔马林固定、石蜡包埋的组织进行免疫组化染色，检测p53、bcl-2和LMP-1蛋白，并通过RNA原位杂交检测EBER mRNA。结果——肿瘤组织学上分为13例角化性鳞状细胞鼻咽癌（KNPC）、15例非角化性鳞状细胞鼻咽癌（NKNPC）和16例未分化鼻咽癌（UNPC）。在15例NKNPC中的5例以及16例UNPC中的6例中观察到bcl-2表达；在13例KNPC中的1例、15例NKNPC中的2例以及16例UNPC中的4例中观察到p53表达。在15例NKNPC中的5例以及16例UNPC中的9例中检测到EBER 1-2转录本，而在16例UNPC中的1例中观察到LMP-1表达。所有13例KNPC均为EBV和bcl-2阴性。在NPC细胞中，未发现EBER 1-2转录本的存在与bcl-2或p53蛋白的检测之间存在相关性，或两者均无相关性。结论——bcl-2和p53蛋白的表达可能与NPC中肿瘤细胞的分化程度有关。此外，鉴于bcl-2蛋白在抑制细胞凋亡中的重要作用，bcl-2蛋白的表达可能在一部分NPC中有助于肿瘤细胞存活。此外，根据先前的研究结果，大多数UNPC中的p53基因处于野生型构型，除突变外的其他机制可能是UNPC中p53蛋白稳定的原因。
