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

BACKGROUND/AIM: 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.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: 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.

RESULTS: 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.

CONCLUSION: 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.