Importantly, p63 expression is positively correlated with CD44, HAS3, and ABCC1 expression in squamous cell carcinoma datasets and p63-HA pathway is a negative prognostic factor of HNSCC patient survival.
In this report, CK19 and p63 were immunohistochemically examined in primary tumours for use as molecular markers and were compared with cytokeratin 903 (CK903), cytokeratin 8/18 (CK8/18) and cytokeratin (AE1/AE3), which are used in diagnostic immunohistochemistry for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
The p53 homologue p63 produces six different isoforms that are important in development of epithelial tissues and squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN).
Biopsies from patients diagnosed with OLP and GVHD were analysed for p63 protein expression using antibodies distinguishing between the major isoforms expressed in normal epithelia, in parallel with biopsies from normal buccal mucosa and SCCHN.
Various changes have been described at different stages of SCCHN tumour development, including overexpression of p63, a protein important for development of normal epidermal structures. p63 has been suggested to activate beta-catenin, and nuclear accumulation of beta-catenin is an important event in many cancers.
In experiment 1, analysis of 36 HNSCC specimens from various head and neck subsites showed p63 expression in all tumors and matched normal tissue specimens (36 of 36).