The role of tumor suppressor protein Tp63 in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

ABSTRACT
Background: The present study was conducted on oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) which is the most common
oral malignancies with main objective of showing the expression of p63 in OSCC.
Materials and methods: This study comprised a total of (93) patients diagnosed as OSCC.,(62)males and (31) females.
The cases include: well differentiated SCC.(32)cases, moderately differentiated SCC.(40) and poorly differentiated
SCC.(21)cases. The expression of p63 gene was carried out on 4μm tumor sections using Immuno histochemical
staining of p63 antibody. The data demonstrated the mean percentage expression of p63 in well, moderately and
poorly differentiated SCC.
Results: Results showed that p63 expression was observed as positive diffuse reactivity in(38) cases (40.86%), positive
basal Para basal reactivity in (19)cases (20.34%), positive basal reactivity in (34) cases (36.56%) and negative
reactivity in( 2) cases (2.15%). Results also showed p63 expression was increased in high grade tumors of size >1.5cm
and metastatic dissemination of lymph nodes with diffuse and basal Para basal pattern of distribution.
Scoring analysis showed more than 50% of cases present with score 26-50% of expression.
Conclusion: These data found that the P63 nuclear positivity was extended from the basal- Para basal layers to the
whole epithelial layers in both moderately and poorly differentiated tumors, and P63 staining was more uniform and
homogenous for the well- differentiated tumor areas.
Key words: HNSCC= Head and Neck squamous cell carcinoma; OSCC= oral squamous cell carcinoma. J Bagh Coll
Dentistry 2009; 21(2):78-81)