Immunohistochemical demonstration of p53 protein in colorectal adenomas and adenocarcinomas. Reliable application of the heat-induced antigen retrieval method to formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded material.
Ninety-nine polypoid neoplasms and eight advanced adenocarcinomas of the colon were studied immunohistochemically for p53 protein expression. For reproducible antigen retrieval, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded archival sections were heated at 90 degrees C for 120 min in 0.01 mol/L phosphate-buffered saline, pH 7.2, prior to immunostaining. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen served as a positive control marker for effective antigen retrieval. The 99 polyps were categorized into 24 high-grade adenomas, 60 non-invasive cancer-in-adenomas (CIA), and 15 CIA with stromal invasion. All the polyps contained portions of low-grade adenoma. Positive nuclear staining of p53 protein was observed in none of the non-neoplastic mucosa, nine (9%) of 99 low-grade adenomas, 17 (71%) of 24 high-grade adenomas, 46 (77%) of 60 non-invasive CIA, 10 (67%) of 15 invasive CIA, and five (63%) of eight advanced carcinomas. When the antigen retrieval treatment was omitted, the positivity rates were 0, 2, 17, 35, 40, and 63%, respectively. When the antigen-retrieved staining pattern was classified into (i) 'sparse' (< 25% of the nuclei of neoplastic glands labeled), 'scattered' (25-75%) and 'dense' (> 75%); or (ii) 'focal' (the positively labeled glands occupying < 25% of the tumor area), 'intermediate' (25-75%) and 'diffuse' (> 75%), the sparse and focal patterns predominated in high-grade adenomas and non-invasive CIA with low-grade atypia, while the dense and diffuse patterns predominated in invasive CIA and all the advanced carcinomas revealed the dense and diffuse patterns. Non-invasive CIA with high-grade atypia belonged to an intermediate type between the two groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Hamana
T
T
Department of Pathology, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Japan.
Kawai
K
K
Serizawa
A
A
Tsutsumi
Y
Y
Watanabe
K
K
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000737:chemistry*; D018256:Adenomatous Polyps / Q000737:chemistry*; D000368:Aged; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D005404:Fixatives; D005557:Formaldehyde; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis*
D005404:Fixatives; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D005557:Formaldehyde