Serum anti-p53 autoantibodies in pleural malignant mesothelioma, lung cancer and non-neoplastic lung diseases.
Alterations of the p53 gene may lead to the production of detectable autoantibodies (p53-Abs) in cancer patients. In order to evaluate the association of p53-Abs with pleuropulmonary diseases, four groups of subjects were analyzed by ELISA for serum p53-Abs, in the framework of a molecular epidemiologic study. Two of 30 pleural malignant mesothelioma patients (MM; 6.7%) and 8/48 lung cancer patients (LC; 16.7%) were seropositive, while all 51 healthy controls (HC) were negative. Two of 55 (3.6%) at-risk controls (RC) with non-malignant respiratory diseases were positive and were not subsequently diagnosed any cancer. The difference was statistically significant between LC and RC or HC (P = 0.01), but not between MM and any other group. No correlation was found with age, sex, cancer stage or histology, cigarette smoking or occupational exposure. A longer survival (not significant) was shown in seropositive LC but not in MM. p53 expression in tumor tissue was also evaluated in a subgroup of MM. In conclusion, the presence of detectable p53-Abs in serum was associated in a statistically significant proportion of cases with LC but only occasionally with MM. The longer survival among positive LC patients and the presence of two seropositive among patients with non-neoplastic respiratory diseases should be further investigated.
Neri
Monica
M
Division of Environmental Epidemiology, National Cancer Research Institute, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, I-16132 Genoa, Italy. monica.neri@istge.it
Betta
Piergiacomo
P
Marroni
Paola
P
Filiberti
Rosangela
R
Cafferata
Mara
M
Mereu
Carlo
C
Ivaldi
Giampaolo
G
Montanaro
Fabio
F
Puntoni
Riccardo
R
Paganuzzi
Michela
M
D000368:Aged; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm / Q000097:blood*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms; D008297:Male; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016066:Pleural Effusion, Malignant / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000276:immunology*
D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D001323:Autoantibodies; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53