Comparative Study on p53 Expression and Clinical Charateristics in Renal Cell Carcinoma

Cho, Myoung Keun; Kim, Jong Sung; RIm, Joung Sik

Abstract

PURPOSE: Mutations of the p53 gene are currently the most commonly recognized genetic mutations in human cancer. In some tumors, p53 gene mutations are associated with aggressiveness of the tumor and poor prognosis. There is wide variation in the reported incidence of p53 mutation in renal cell carcinoma, and little is known about its prognostic significance. To detect whether the expression of p53 could be correlated with clinical characteristics, we perfomed immunohistochemical stain on renal cell cancer samples.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Paraffin-embedded nephrectomized specimens collected from 25 patients were immunostained for p53 using the DO-1 monoclonal antibody. We evaluated the relation between p53 staining and known prognostic factors such as tumor size, pathologic stage, lymph nodal involvement, presence of metastasis, nuclear grade and cell types.
RESULTS
Positive staining for p53 was detected in 32%(8/25). The staining for p53 was not statistically significant in relation with the prognostic factors such as pathologic stage(stageI&II; positive staining 6/18, 33%, stage III&IV; 2/7, 29%), lymph nodal involvement(positive 1/3, 33%, negative 7/22, 32%), distant metastasis(positive 2/6, 33%, negative 6/19, 32%), nuclear grade(nuclear gradeI&II; positive 5/18, 28%, nuclear grade III&IV; 3/7, 43%) and cell types(p>0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
p53 gene mutations of the renal cell carcinoma are infrequent and show no relation to tumor size, pathologic stage, lymph nodal involvement, presence of metastasis, nuclear grade and tumor cell type in this study.