Status of p53 and p27(KIP1) in Iranian Patients With Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Alterations in p53 and p27(KIP1) have been documented as important events in the carcinogenesis of various cancers, but their prognostic role in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains controversial. OBJECTIVES: The present investigation aimed to evaluate the clinicopathologic and prognostic significance of p53 and p27(KIP1) expression in a group of Iranian patients with OSCC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this analytical cross-sectional study, medical records of patients with primary OSCC, diagnosed from 1994 to 2004 were reviewed and 28 subjects were selected based on the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Immunohistochemical staining using monoclonal antibodies against p53 and p27(KIP1) was performed on representative archival paraffin blocks. Demographic data along with information on p53 and p27(KIP1) expression, recurrence, and tumor grade was statistically analyzed using the Fischer exact test. Prognostic factors for overall survival were determined by Cox regression analysis (P < 0.05). RESULTS: p53 and p27(KIP1) expression were found in 28.57% (8 positive versus 20 negative) and 67.85% (19 positive versus 9 negative) of OSCC cases, respectively. There was no significant association between these two proteins (P = 0.371), and neither of them showed a significant relationship with the studied clinicopathologic variables (P > 0.05). In survival analysis, only histopathologic differentiation (17 low and moderate, 11 poor) demonstrated a significant correlation with overall survival (P = 0.048). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the fact that abnormalities in p53 and p27(KIP1) may be involved in the development of OSCC, their clinical significance in the studied population seems limited. Further investigation on the combined p53/p27(KIP1) expression may be helpful in predicting the biologic behavior of this tumor.