title: p53 overexpression in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue detected by immunohistochemistry.
abstract: Mutation and overexpression of the p53 gene have been noted in a wide range of human cancers and are thought to play a role in malignant transformation. Previously, immunohistochemical detection of p53 has been possible only in fresh-frozen tissues. We examined p53 expression in paraffin-embedded tissues from 50 epithelial ovarian cancers and 25 primary breast cancers with a modified immunohistochemical (IHC) technique developed in this laboratory, using monoclonal antibody (MAb) PAb1801. The 75 cases were selected from a group of patients in whom the expression levels had already been assessed in a fresh-tissue IHC assay. An identical staining reactivity was observed in both formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue and fresh-frozen tissue in 48 of 50 (96%) epithelial ovarian cancers and in 23 of 25 (92%) primary breast cancers. Immunodetection of p53 in paraffin-embedded tissue blocks will be a useful alternative to the standard fresh-tissue assay and can accurately reflect the level of p53 expression in human tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Kerns
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Humphrey
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berchuck
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Kohler
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Bast
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Iglehart
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Marks
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry*; D016610:Tissue Embedding; D016707:Tissue Fixation; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53