MDM2 is a useful diagnostic marker for nasopharyngeal carcinoma

The MDM2 gene appears to be involved in the development of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The aim of this study was to examine MDM2 expression in a series of nasopharyngeal carcinoma biopsies to explore its potential diagnostic significance.

The study cohort consisted of 26 nasopharyngeal carcinomas, including 22 EBV positive non-keratinizing squamous cell carcinomas (NKSCC), 1 EBV negative NKSCC and 3 EBV negative keratinizing SCC. For comparison, we selected 48 oropharyngeal carcinomas, including 17 HPV positive SCC (14 non-keratinizing and 3 keratinizing) and 31 HPV negative SCCs (28 keratinizing and 3 non-keratinizing). In addition, we examined MDM2 expression in a group of 26 cervical lymph node metastases, including 5 with EBV positive nasopharyngeal NKSCC and 21 from oropharyngeal carcinoma (18 non keratinizing HPV positive, 1 keratinizing HPV positive, 1 keratinizing HPV negative and 1 non-keratinizing HPV negative). Finally, 2 bone metastases from EBV positive nasopharyngeal NKSCC were also included. A tissue microarray was constructed from formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tumor tissue specimens. Sections were immunostained for MDM2 and in situ hybridization for EBER and CISH analysis for the MDM2 gene were also conducted in all cases.

Overall, MDM2 positivity was detected in 28 of 102 SCCs (27.2 %). MDM2 positivity was significantly more frequent in EBV positive NKSCC (80 %) than in oropharyngeal HPV positive NKSCC (6.1 %) and keratinizing SCCs (9.4 %) (p < 0.001, Pearson chi square). Considering only the primary tumors, 86.4 % of the nasopharyngeal carcinomas were positive, versus 13.5 % of the oropharyngeal carcinomas (p < 0.001, Pearson chi square). Considering the lymph node metastases, 3 of 5 EBV positive carcinomas with nasopharyngeal primary were positive, whereas only one of the HPV positive carcinomas was positive. Finally, both the bone metastases from EBV positive nasopharyngeal carcinoma were positive for MDM2. No amplification of the MDM2 gene was identified by in situ hybridization analysis.

Our data indicate that MDM2 could be a valuable diagnostic marker to support the diagnosis of nasopharyngeal EBV positive NKSCC.