Niedobitek G, Agathanggelou A, Barber P, Smallman L A, Jones E L, Young L S
Department of Pathology, University of Birmingham, U.K.
J Pathol. 1993 Aug;170(4):457-61. doi: 10.1002/path.1711700409.
We have analysed 22 nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPCs) for expression of the small nuclear Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded RNAs (EBERs) and for immunohistologically detectable overexpression of p53. In situ hybridization demonstrated expression of the EBERs in 13 undifferentiated NPCs while nine squamous cell NPCs were EBER-negative. These results therefore confirm our previous DNA-DNA in situ hybridization studies and demonstrate that in the nasopharynx EBV is exclusively associated with undifferentiated but not with squamous cell carcinomas. p53 overexpression was demonstrated by immunohistology in 5 of 9 squamous cell NPCs and in 9 of 13 undifferentiated NPCs. Thus, there appears to be no correlation of p53 overexpression with EBV infection. These results are unexpected in the light of previous studies demonstrating that the p53 gene in primary undifferentiated NPC is consistently in the wild-type configuration. By contrast, analyses of squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck have demonstrated that p53 overexpression in these cases is the result of p53 gene mutation. Whilst more detailed genetic analysis is required, our results suggest that mechanisms other than mutation of the p53 gene may be responsible for the stabilization of the protein in cases of undifferentiated NPC. It is tempting to speculate that an EBV-encoded protein may be involved.
我们分析了22例鼻咽癌（NPC），检测了小核爱泼斯坦 - 巴尔病毒（EBV）编码RNA（EBER）的表达以及p53免疫组化可检测到的过表达情况。原位杂交显示13例未分化NPC中有EBER表达，而9例鳞状细胞NPC为EBER阴性。因此，这些结果证实了我们之前的DNA - DNA原位杂交研究，并表明在鼻咽部EBV仅与未分化癌相关，而与鳞状细胞癌无关。免疫组化显示9例鳞状细胞NPC中有5例、13例未分化NPC中有9例出现p53过表达。因此，p53过表达与EBV感染似乎没有相关性。鉴于之前的研究表明原发性未分化NPC中的p53基因始终处于野生型构型，这些结果出人意料。相比之下，对头颈部鳞状细胞癌的分析表明，这些病例中p53过表达是p53基因突变的结果。虽然需要更详细的基因分析，但我们的结果表明，在未分化NPC病例中，除了p53基因突变之外，其他机制可能导致该蛋白的稳定。很容易推测可能涉及一种EBV编码的蛋白。
