Importance of serum p53 antibodies during follow-up after treatment of invasive bladder tumors.
BACKGROUND
To investigate the prognostic importance of the changes in serum p53 antibody titrations during follow-up of patients who had anti-p53 antibody-positive invasive bladder tumors with transitional epithelial cells.


METHODS
The study group consisted of 23 clinically T3</=, N0, M0 patients with positive serum anti-p53 antibodies before treatment. 23 cases with negative serum anti-p53 antibodies who were comparable in age, comorbidity and stage with the study group were selected as a control group. The cases whose serum anti-p53 titrations decreased to normal levels after treatment were compared for metastases, death rates and survival with cases who remained serum anti-p53-positive and those who were serum p53 antibody-negative before treatment. Serum anti-p53 antibody titration was determined by ELISA.


RESULTS
While serum anti-p53 antibody titrations became negative in 8 (35%) of the 23 seropositive patients, it did not change in 15 patients (65%). There was a correlation between the maintenance of seropositivity, local progression/metastasis and death (p < 0.05). Survival was found to be better in cases who were seronegative after treatment compared with cases who remained positive and also those who were seronegative before treatment (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The normalization of serum anti-p53 antibody positivity after treatment of invasive bladder tumors seems to be a good and reliable prognostic indicator.
Gumus
Eyup
E
2nd Urology Clinic, Sisli Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. eyupg@superonline.com
Demirel
Gulderen
G
Tanriverdi
Orhan
O
Horasanli
Kaya
K
Ozmen
Gökhan
G
Miroglu
Cengiz
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011379:Prognosis; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000276:immunology*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*
D000906:Antibodies; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53