p53 immunostaining pattern in Brazilian patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an important type of cancer etiologically related to some viruses, chemical carcinogens and other host or environmental factors associated to chronic liver injury in humans. The tumor suppressor gene p53 is mutated in highly variable levels (0-52%) of HCC in different countries.


OBJECTIVE
The objective of the present study was to compare the frequency of aberrant immunohistochemical expression of p53 in HCC occurring in cirrhotic or in non-cirrhotic patients as well as in liver cell dysplasia and in adenomatous hyperplasia. We studied 84 patients with HCC or cirrhosis.


RESULTS
We detected p53 altered immuno-expression in 58.3% of patients in Grade III-IV contrasting to 22.2% of patients in Grade I-II (p = 0.02). Nontumorous areas either in the vicinity of HCC or in the 30 purely cirrhotic cases showed no nuclear p53 altered expression, even in foci of dysplasia or adenomatous hyperplasia. No significant difference was found among cases related to HBV, HCV or alcohol.


CONCLUSIONS
The high frequency of p53 immunoexpression in this population is closer to those reported in China and Africa, demanding further studies to explain the differences with European and North American reports.
Alves
Venâncio Avancini Ferreira
VA
Department of Pathology, School of Medicine & Immunohistochemistry Laboratory, Adolfo Lutz Institute, São Paulo University, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Nita
Marcelo Eidi
ME
Carrilho
Flair José
FJ
Ono-Nita
Suzane Kioko
SK
Wakamatsu
Alda
A
Lehrbach
Dárcio Matenhauer
DM
de Carvalho
Maria Fernanda Pimentel
MF
de Mello
Evandro Sobroza
ES
Gayotto
Luiz Carlos da Costa
LC
da Silva
Luiz Caetano
LC
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis*
D015415:Biomarkers; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53