NM23-H1 EXPRESSION IN NASOPHARYNGEAL CARCINOMA - CORRELATION WITH CLINICAL OUTCOME

The expression levels of nm23-HI mRNA and its protein in human nasopha ryngeal carcinoma (NPC) were detected to clarify the relationship betw een nm23-HI and metastasis and prognosis of patients with NPC. nm23-HI mRNA expression in fresh tissues from 78 patients with NPC was invest igated by in situ hybridization and RT-PCR. Routine labeling streptavi dinbiotin immuno-histochemistry with the nm23-HI murine monoclonal ant ibody was employed to study the expression of nm23-HI protein in paraf fin-embedded specimens from 231 patients with NPC treated in our hospi tal. The clinical pathologic data and results of follow-up were collec ted. Comparisons between expression of nm23-HI protein or mRNA and cli nical outcome were performed using the chi(2) test. Multivariate progn ostic analyses were performed by the Cox regression model. We found th at nm23-HI-negative tumors were associated with a higher incidence of lymphnode metastasis (84.2%) than nm23-HI-positive ones (32.8%, p < 0. 01), The distant metastasis and loco-regional recurrence rates in the nm23-HI-negative group were 55.8% and 31.68%, respectively but only 17 .2% and 11.5%, respectively, in the nm23-HI-positive group (p < 0.01). A significant association was found between expression of nm23-HI pro tein and prognosis (P < 0.01). Expression of nm23-HI protein indicated favorable prognosis, suggesting that the absence of nm23-HI protein e xpression was significantly associated with lymph-node metastasis, rec urrence and distant metastasis in NPC. Expression of the nm23-HI gene may be valuable for assessing the prognosis of NPC. (C) 1998 Wiley-Lis s, Inc.