Expression of p16 and Its Involvement in Carcinogenesis of Cervical Carcinoma

Objective: This study was to observe the expression of the cell regulator cyclinD1-dependent kinase inhibitor p16 in normal cervixes, CINs, and cervical carcinomas, and to evaluate tentatively the relationship between p16 expression alteration and the cervical carcinomas. Methods: Immunohistochemical analysis using an-ti-p16 antibodies was done on 11 paraffin sections of normal cervixes, 9 of CINs, and 48 of cervical carcinomas. All data were processed by using SPSS10 software. Results: The results showed that 18.18% of normal cervixes, 66.67% of CINs, and 87.50% of cervical carcinomas expressed p16. The expression of p16 was significantly higher in cervical carcinomas than in normal cervixes (P 0.01). No statistical difference of p16 expression was found between normal cervix and CIN, nor was the positive correlation between p16 expression and clinico-pathological parameters observed. Conclusion: These data suggested that overexpression of p16 seems to be involved in the carcinogenesis of cervix. The relationship between the over expression of p16 and the infiltration, metastasis and prognosis of the patients with cervical carcinomas needs to be further studied.