title: p53 immunostaining pattern in Brazilian patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Medicine & Immunohistochemistry Laboratory, Adolfo Lutz Institute, São Paulo University, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Venâncio Avancini Ferreira
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: Marcelo Eidi
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Nita
authors.forename: Flair José
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Carrilho
authors.forename: Suzane Kioko
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Ono-Nita
authors.forename: Alda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wakamatsu
authors.forename: Dárcio Matenhauer
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Lehrbach
authors.forename: Maria Fernanda Pimentel
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: de Carvalho
authors.forename: Evandro Sobroza
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: de Mello
authors.forename: Luiz Carlos da Costa
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Gayotto
authors.forename: Luiz Caetano
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: da Silva
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53