CYCLIN-DI-GENE AMPLIFICATION IS A MORE POTENT PROGNOSTIC FACTOR THAN ITS PROTEIN OVER-EXPRESSION IN HUMAN HEAD-AND-NECK SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA

To evaluate the prognostic significance of cyclin D1 protein/gene expr essions in human head-and-neck squamous-cell carcinoma (HNSCC), we exa mined amplification of the cyclin-DI gene (CCND1) by the differential PCR method and over-expression of cyclin-D1 protein by immunohistochem istry in 45 paraffin-embedded sections from HNSCC, Amplification of CC ND1 was found in 10 (22%) cases and over-expression of cyclin D1 was f ound in 24 (53%) cases. CCND1 amplification was also found in 3 (25%) of 12 cases of dysplastic lesions adjacent to HNSCC, The overall 5-yea r survival of patients with CCND1 amplification or with protein over-p roduction was significantly lower than that of patients without (p < 0 .0001 and P < 0.05, respectively), However, with multivariate analysis , only amplification of CCND1 retained an independent prognostic value (p = 0.0018), These suggest that CCND1 amplification occurs at early stages of HNSCC tumorigenesis and is a more useful prognostic factor t han over-expression of cyclin DI in HNSCC. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.