Expression of survivin in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and its correlation with clinical stages and lymph node metastasis

Objective To study expression of survivin, a suppressor of cell apoptosis, in nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC) and reveal the correlation between expression of survivin and clinical stages, lymph node metastasis of NPC.Methods Immunohistrochemical stain was used to evaluate the expression of survivin in 68 cases of NPC and 45 cases of nasopharyngeal chronic inflammation tissues.Results The positive rate of survivin was 69.1%(47/68) in 68 cases of NPC, and 15.6%(7/45)in 45 cases of nasopharyngeal chronic inflammation tissues, the difference was significant(P0.01). The positive rate of survivin was 71.7%(33/46) in NPC with lymph node metastasis and 63.6%(14/22) in NPC without lymph node metastasis; the positive rate of survivin was 70.6%(12/17) in earlier NPC (clinical stage Ⅰand Ⅱ), 68.6% (35/51) (12/17) in later NPC (clinical stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ), the expression of survivin had no significant correlation with lymph node metastasis or clinical stages of NPC (P0.05%).Conclusion Expression of survivin has already changed in earlier stage of NPC, this alteration may play a key role in carcinogenesis of nasopharyngeal epithelium. Survivin may not be involved in clinical stages and lymph node metastasis of NPC.