The value of p53 protein expression in gallbladder carcinoma: analysis of 60 cases.
OBJECTIVE
Few studies, with small samples and diverging results, have been performed to evaluate the p53 protein expression in gallbladder carcinoma and its relationship to different clinicopathological parameters. Based on these facts, we performed a study for the purpose of assessing p53 expression in this disease and its association to prognostic factors.


METHODS
Samples of 141 gallbladders, with 60 cases of carcinoma, 62 cholelithiasis and 19 without gallstones were assessed using an immunohistochemical technique for the expression of p53 protein, and analyzed for prognosis, survival and other clinicopathological parameters.


RESULTS
p53 expression was positive in 58.3% of carcinomas of the gallbladder, 9.7% of the chronic cholecystitis and 10.5% of the gallbladders not associated to stones. In cases of carcinoma of the gallbladder there was no statistically significant association between the expression of this protein, the prognostic factors, histological type or grade, presence of gallstones and survival.


CONCLUSIONS
The mutation of gene p53 is involved in the pathogenesis of carcinoma of the gallbladder, and the intense chronic inflammatory process associated or not with cholelithiasis, appears to be one of the factors involved in the genesis of this process. Our data do not show an association between p53 protein expression and patient's survival prognosis.
da Rocha
Andréa Oxley
AO
Pathology Department, Fundação Faculdade Federal de Ciências Médicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil. andoxley@via-rs.net
Coutinho
Lígia Maria Barbosa
LM
Scholl
João Grigoletti
JG
Leboutte
Laís Dal'Pino
LD
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018196:Carcinoma, Adenosquamous / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D002763:Cholecystectomy; D002764:Cholecystitis / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D005260:Female; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000473:pathology; D005706:Gallbladder Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D042882:Gallstones / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics*
D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53