p53 expression as a prognostic determinant in resected distal bile duct carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the incidence and prognostic value of p53 immunopositivity in resectable distal bile duct carcinoma (DBDC).


METHODS
Forty-seven paraffin-embedded archival tumour samples of patients with DBDC, who underwent subtotal pancreatoduodenectomy from 1985 to 1996, were immunohistochemically examined for p53 positivity, using the anti-p53 antibody D07.


RESULTS
Nineteen (40%) of the 47 tumours demonstrated positive (>30%) p53 protein immunostaining. Focally positive or negative staining was seen in the remaining 28 (60%) cases. Patients in this low p53 category survived significantly longer than those in the high p53 category, with median survival durations of 29 and 13 months respectively (P=0. 039). p53 positivity was independent of age, sex, tumour size, radicality of resection, histopathological grading, lymph-node status, perineural invasion and vasoinvasive growth.


CONCLUSIONS
This study indicates that low (0-30%) p53 expression is a favourable prognostic factor in patients with resected DBDC.
Rijken
A M
AM
Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Offerhaus
G J
GJ
Polak
M M
MM
Gouma
D J
DJ
van Gulik
T M
TM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016577:Pancreaticoduodenectomy; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis*
D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53