The relationship between the p53 expression and MRI manifestion of the T-staging and the lymph nodes metastasis of the nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Objective: To study the relationship of MR imaging manifestation of the T-staging and lymph nodes metastasis of the nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), with the expression of p53 protein. Methods: One hundred and four patients with NPC, whose MR imaging was performed before treatment, were enrolled in this study. The expression of p53 protein was examined by SP immunohistochemical technique. A comparison of the MRI manifestation of the T-staging and lymph nodes metastasis of the nasopharyngeal carcinoma with the p53 expression was performed. Results: MR imaging manifestation: for T-staging, there were 32 patients were staged as T1, 32 as T2, 20 as T3, and 20 as T4, respectively. Fourty-nine patients were detected cervical lymph nodes metastasis and 34 were detected retropharyngeal nodes metastasis. The relationship of MRI manifestation with the expression of p53: (1) the positive-expression rate of p53 proteins in NPC was 82.7% (86/104). (2) The positive-expression rate of p53 proteins in group T3 +T4 was 92.5% (37/40), in group T1 +T2 was 76.6% (49/64). The difference was statistically significant (X2=4.37, P=0.037). (3) The high expression rate of p53 protein in group T1, T2, T3 and T4 was 81.3% (26/32), 59.4% (19/32), 95.0% (19/20), and 85.0% (17/20), respectively. The expression level of p53 protein was significantly different among different T-staging. (4) The expression of p53 protein of the cervical lymph nodes metastasis was 77.6% (38/49), and of the retropharyngeal nodes metastasis was 76.5% (26/34). There were no statistical significance (X2=0.591, P>0.05 and X2=0.795, P>0.05). The expression rate of p53 protein in patients with cervical lymph nodes metastasis (≥4 cm) was 81.8% (9/11), in cervical lymph nodes metastasis (<4 cm) was 76.3% (29/38). The difference was not statistically significant (X2=0.005, P=0.944). Conclusion: (1) The expression of p53 is probably one of important etiologic facts. (2) With the T-stage increase, the expression of p53 protein became strong. (3) There was no correlation between lymph nodes metastasis and the expression of p53 protein. (authors)