title: p53 expression and proliferative activity predict survival in non-invasive thymomas.
abstract: We performed p53 immunohistochemistry, DNA flow cytometry and analysis of the argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs) in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections from 46 non-invasive thymomas and correlated the results with the traditional clinicopathologic features of the tumor. p53 immunopositivity was detected in 21 of 46 cases; it was not associated with any clinicopathologic features nor DNA content but significantly correlated with AgNOR counts. On univariate analysis, 10-year survival rates were 100% for p53-negative cases but only 71% for p53-positive cases and 93% for patients with low AgNOR counts but only 77% for patients with high AgNOR counts. Age, sex, histologic type, myasthenia gravis and DNA content did not correlate with survival. Our results indicate that p53 staining and evaluation of proliferative activity allow assessment of prognosis in non-invasive thymomas, when all of the other parameters are insufficient. Furthermore, the high rate of p53 expression in non-invasive thymomas suggests that abnormal p53 immunoreactivity may occur early in the neoplastic process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pich
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chiarle
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chiusa
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ponti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Geuna
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Palestro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015870:Gene Expression; D016158:Genes, p53; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009697:Nucleolus Organizer Region / Q000737:chemistry; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D016622:Silver Staining; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013945:Thymoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53