Immunohistochemical detection of p53 protein in human prostatic cancer.
Tissue sections from 73 radical-prostatectomy specimens were studied immunohistochemically for the presence of p53 protein. In seven specimens numerous tumor cells showed a strong nuclear immunostaining. An additional 27 revealed a more discrete and focal accumulation of p53 protein. Comparison of the pathologic characteristics of the p53-negative and -positive groups showed that the presence of p53 protein closely correlated with more advanced tumor stages (p < 0.00001), with higher primary (p = 0.0004), combined (p < 0.0001) and worst (p < 0.0001) Gleason grades, and with larger total (p = 0.0001) and high-grade (p < 0.0001) tumor volumes. No staining was found in areas of benign hyperplasia or in well-differentiated tumor zones. Our results suggest that the accumulation of p53 protein to immunohistochemically detectable concentrations is not a feature of low-grade cancer. This finding implies that abnormal p53 accumulation might be involved in the process of prostatic cancer progression.
Henke
R P
RP
Institute of Pathology, University of Hamburg, Germany.
Krüger
E
E
Ayhan
N
N
Hübner
D
D
Hammerer
P
P
Huland
H
H
D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53