P16 Expression in Human Breast Carcinoma and its Relationship to Clinicopathological Parameters

Q: What was the aim of this study on p16 in breast cancer?

To evaluate p16 expression in breast cancer compared with normal breast tissue and determine its association with clinicopathological parameters.

Q: How was p16 expression measured in the samples?

p16 expression was assessed on paraffin blocks using immunohistochemistry, then compared across tumor and control groups.

Q: Which clinicopathological factor showed a significant relationship with p16 expression?

The intensity of p16 expression showed a significant direct relationship with the number of involved lymph nodes (P < 0.001), while other factors were not significantly associated.

Sep 24, 2026

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Background: p16 is a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor and a key regulator of cell cycle control. Prior studies report links between p16 overexpression and unfavorable breast cancer prognosis. This study assessed p16 expression in breast cancer versus normal breast tissue and analyzed associations with clinicopathological parameters. Materials and Methods: Paraffin blocks from 110 samples (invasive carcinoma tumor group, adjacent normal tissue control, and normal mammoplasty specimens) from 2016–2020 were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and analyzed with SPSS. Results: Higher p16 expression was seen in tumors, with stronger expression correlating with lymph node involvement (P < 0.001). Other factors showed no significant association. Conclusion: A notable p16 presence in breast cancer is observed, with a direct lymph node link only.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

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Abstract

Introduction

Materials and Methods

Results

Conclusion

Keywords

| Original Article | | --- | | | P16 Expression in Human Breast Carcinoma and its Relationship to Clinicopathological Parameters Fereshteh Mohammadizadeh, Farnaz Nasri Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran Abstract Background: p16 is a cyclin‑dependent kinase inhibitor and a cardinal regulator of the cell cycle. The relationship between p16 overexpression and poor prognosis of breast cancer has been reported in some studies. This study aimed to evaluate p16 expression in breast cancer in comparison to normal breast tissue and determine the association between p16 expression and clinicopathological parameters in breast cancer. Materials and Methods: Paraffin blocks of 110 samples were studied. These included 40 invasive breast carcinoma (tumor group) and normal tissue adjacent to the tumor (tumor control), as well as 30 normal mammoplasty specimens (normal control). Samples were from the pathology archive of Alzahra Hospital, Isfahan, Iran, from 2016 to 2020. p16 expression was studied and compared in these three groups using the immunohistochemistry technique. Moreover, the relationship between p16 expression and age, tumor size, carcinoma subtype, tumor grade, and lymph node involvement was investigated in the tumor group. SPSS version 16 was used to analyze data. Results: p16 expression showed a significant difference between the tumor group and the two control groups with a significantly higher expression in the tumor group. There was a significant direct relationship between the intensity of p16 expression and the number of involved lymph nodes (P < 0.001). No significant relationship was detected between p16 expression and other clinicopathological factors. Conclusion: p16 seems to have a rather significant expression in breast cancer in comparison to normal breast parenchyma. However, among clinicopathological parameters, we found only a direct relationship between lymph node involvement and intensity of p16 expression. Keywords: Breast cancer, cyclin‑dependent kinase inhibitor p16, immunohistochemistry, prognosis Address for correspondence: Dr. Farnaz Nasri, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. E‑mail: [fa.nasri.1368@gmail.com](fa.nasri.1368@gmail.com) Submitted: 31‑May‑2022; Revised: 26‑Aug‑2022; Accepted: 04‑Oct‑2022; Published: 28‑Jun‑2023 IntroductIon Breast cancer is the most common non‑cutaneous malignant tumor and is the second cause of cancer deaths among women. [1] Data reveal an increase in the incidence of this malignancy in Asia and a decrease in the mean age of Iranian patients in recent years. [2,3] Breast cancer is caused by the accumulation of mutations in drivers and other genes that provide cells a proliferative advantage. [4,5] The occurrence of genetic abnormalities in the major genes that control cell growth can lead to the onset of carcinogenesis. [6] One of the most common causes of human cancers is the | Access this article online | | | --- | --- | | Quick Response Code:
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[www.advbiores.net](www.advbiores.net) | | | DOI:
10.4103/abr.abr_ 180_22 | disruption of cell cycle checkpoints. The p16INK4a is a tumor suppressor gene located on chromosome 9p21 . [7] p16 protein, the product of that gene, is one of the negative regulators of the cell cycle which causes G1 arrest by blocking the G1 to S transfer in the cell cycle. p16 inhibits cyclin‑dependent kinase 4/6 (CDKs 4/60) . [8] CDKs 4/6 phosphorylate Retinoblastoma protein (pRb), resulting in pRb inactivation. pRb phosphorylation by CDKs 4/6 with subsequent inactivation of this protein is an important step in cell cycle progression. Deletions and mutations of p16 in human cancer cell lines point to the significant role of This is an open access journal, and articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution‑NonCommercial‑ShareAlike 4.0 License, wh

FAQs

What was the aim of this study on p16 in breast cancer?

To evaluate p16 expression in breast cancer compared with normal breast tissue and determine its association with clinicopathological parameters.

How was p16 expression measured in the samples?

p16 expression was assessed on paraffin blocks using immunohistochemistry, then compared across tumor and control groups.

Which clinicopathological factor showed a significant relationship with p16 expression?

The intensity of p16 expression showed a significant direct relationship with the number of involved lymph nodes (P < 0.001), while other factors were not significantly associated.

Sep 24, 2026

Uploaded by Angel