ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To investigate the expression of p53 and Beclin1 in salivary pleomorphic adenoma (PA) and its clinical significance. METHODS: The expression of p53 and Beclin1 were assessed by immunohistochemistry in 108 cases of PA and 20 cases of carcinoma in pleomorphic adenoma(CIPA). The results were used to analyze the relationship between gene expressions and the development of PA as well as the clinical pathological features. Statistic analysis was conducted with SPSS 20.0 software package. RESULTS: The positive expressions of p53 in PA samples (9%) were significantly lower than that in CIPA(14%) (P<0.001). The positive expressions of autophagy-related gene Beclin1 in PA samples(91%) were significantly higher than that CIPA (11%) (P<0.001). The expression levels of these genes were not associated with gender, age, clinical course, tumor size, and location of PA(P>0.05). There was a negative correlation between p53 and Beclin1 expression in PA (r=-0.330,P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The expression levels of Beclin1 and p53 protein are closely related to the development of PA. Reduced autophagy and enhanced anti apoptosis coexist in the process of tumor formation. Thus, raising the autophagy ability may become another alternative choice for cancer therapy.