Expressions of p53, bcl-2 Protein and Ki-67 Labelling Index and Their Relationships with Prognostic Factors in Prostate Cancer

Kim, Dae Gon; Kim, Ki Kwon; Lee, Kyung Seop

Abstract

PURPOSE: The roles of genetic alterations in the p53 tumor suppressor gene and bcl-2 have been implicated in many types of human malignancies. We evaluated the significance of the expressions of p53 and bcl-2 and correlation with Ki-67 as prognostic factor in prostatic adenocarcinoma.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Immunohistochemical stain was performed for expression of p53 and bcl-2 using paraffin blocks of 22 cases of histologically confirmed prostatic adenocarcinoma and the results compared with the PSA, stage, grade, lymph node metastasis, Ki-67 labelling index (LI) and survival of the patients.
RESULTS
Among 22 patients, 5 (22.7%) were positive for p53, and 7 (31.8%) were positive for bcl-2. Both bcl-2 and p53 positivity were found only in one (4.5%) patient. The p53 positivity correlated with high Gleason grade and Ki-67 LI but does not correlated with PSA, stage, or lymph node metastasis. The bcl-2 positivity was not correlated with PSA, stage, grade, lymph node metastasis, or Ki-67 LI. The p53 positivity correlated with poor survival but bcl-2 positivity was not correlated with survival.
CONCLUSIONS
The p53 and bcl-2 were almost independently expressed in prostatic adenocarcinoma and may be involved in carcinogenesis. The p53 reactivity correlated with malignant phenotypes of prostatic adenocancinoma and poor survival and appears to be an independent prognostic indicator.