[Bcl-2, p53 expression and Epstein-Barr virus infection in primary nasopharyngeal carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE

To observe bcl-2, p53 gene expression and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and their relationship with clinicopathologic factors in primary nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

METHOD: p53, bcl-2 proteins were assayed with immunohistochemical technique and EBV were assayed with polymerase chain reaction in 54 cases of NPC and 13 cases of chronic inflammation of nasopharyngeal epithelium (CINE).

RESULT: The expression of p53, bcl-2 proteins and EBV were found respectively in 1(7.7%), 3(23.1%) and 1(7.7%) of 13 CINEs, which were significantly lower than those in 54 NPCs with respectively 41(75.9%), 48(88.9%) and 47(87%) (P < 0.01). In 39 cases of 54(72.2%) NPCs, we could find simultaneous p53, bcl-2 expression and EBV infection, furthermore, p53 and bcl-2 expression were significantly positively correlated with each other (r = 0.78, P < 0.01). p53 gene expression was significantly correlated with cervical lymph node metastasis of NPCs (P < 0.01). The expression of p53 in stage II, III, IV (92.9%, 78.9% and 100% respectively) were significantly higher than that in stage I (38.5%) (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The expression of p53, bcl-2 gene and EBV infection are the useful factors in the diagnosis of NPC, the overexpression of p53 is related with the stage and cervical lymph node metastasis of NPC, all the three play important roles in the pathogenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.