Overexpression of AIB1 in Nasopharyngeal Carcinomas Correlates Closely With Advanced Tumor Stage

• Published in: American journal of clinical pathology Vol. 129; no. 5; pp. 728 - 734
• Main Authors: LIU, Meng-Zhong, DAN XIE, MAI, Shi-Juan, TONG, Zhu-Ting, SHAO, Jian-Yong, FU, Yong-Shui, XIA, Wen-Jie, KUNG, Hsian-Fu, GUAN, Xin-Yuan, ZENG, Yi-Xin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL American Society of Clinical Pathologists 01.05.2008
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Carcinoma - metabolism; Carcinoma - pathology; Female; Histone Acetyltransferases - biosynthesis; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Ki-67 Antigen - metabolism; Lymphatic Metastasis; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms - metabolism; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms - pathology; Neoplasm Staging; Nuclear Receptor Coactivator 3; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Pathology. Cytology. Biochemistry. Spectrometry. Miscellaneous investigative techniques; Tissue Array Analysis; Trans-Activators - biosynthesis; Tumors; Upper respiratory tract, upper alimentary tract, paranasal sinuses, salivary glands: diseases, semeiology; Immunohistochemistry; Nasopharynx cancer; Gene overexpression; AIB1; Tissue microarray; Malignant tumor; Nasopharynx carcinoma; Amplification; Nasopharyngeal carcinoma; Anatomic pathology; Tissue microarrays; ENT disease; Advanced stage; Pharynx disease; Cancer
• ISSN: 0002-9173; 1943-7722
• DOI: 10.1309/QMDTL82JKEX6E7H2

AIB1, a candidate oncogene in breast cancer, is commonly amplified and overexpressed in several types of human cancers. In this study, expression and amplification of AIB1 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) were studied by immunohistochemical analysis and fluorescence in situ hybridization using tissue microarrays, including 80 specimens of NPC and 20 specimens of nonneoplastic nasopharyngeal mucosa. In this NPC cohort, overexpression and amplification of AIB1 was detected in 36 (51%) of 71 and 3 (7%) of 46 NPCs, respectively. Overexpression of AIB1 was observed more frequently in NPCs in late T stages (T3/T4, 24/35 [69%]) than in earlier stages (T1/T2, 12/36 [33%]; P < .05). In addition, 18 (72%) of 25 NPCs with lymph node metastasis (N1-3) showed overexpression of AIB1; the frequency was significantly higher than that in NPCs without node metastasis (N0, 18/49 [39%]; P < .05). These findings suggest that overexpression of AIB1 in NPCs may be important in the acquisition of an invasive and/or metastatic phenotype.