title: The clinical significance of p53, p21, and p27 expressions in rectal carcinoma.
abstract: Many checkpoint proteins that are involved in the control of the cell cycle and apoptosis have been investigated, but only a few studies have evaluated the prognostic significance of multiple factors only in rectal carcinomas. The aim of this study was to determine the role of p53, p21, and p27 protein expression as a prognostic factor in rectal carcinomas. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue blocks from 45 rectal adenocarcinomas with appropriate clinical and prognostic data were examined. The standard streptavidin-biotin immunoperoxidase method was used for immunostaining with p53 protein, p21 WAF1/Cip1 protein, and p27 Kip1 protein. The extent of positive p53, p21, and p27 staining was graded semiquantitatively. The clinicopathologic and prognostic features were statistically analyzed. No significant association was found between p53 status and p21 or p27 protein expression (chi2 test, P=0.42 and P=0.18 respectively). There was no correlation between the expressions of p53, p21, and p27, and conventional clinicopathologic features. The mean time interval to recurrence was 25.7+/-24.7 months (range, 0-54 months). p53, p21, and p27 expression was not associated significantly with recurrence and distant metastasis. However, a significant relationship was found between the expression of p27 protein and hepatic metastasis (independent samples t-test, P=0.007). The authors concluded that p53, p27, and p21 protein expression was not related to the clinicopathologic parameters, tumor aggressiveness, metastatic potential, and survival in rectal carcinomas. Further studies are needed to evaluate the predictors of outcome in rectal cancer, considering a variety of prognosticators.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Dokuz Eylul University, School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey. banu.lebe@deu.edu.tr
authors.forename: Banu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lebe
authors.forename: Sülen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sarioğlu
authors.forename: Selman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sökmen
authors.forename: Hülya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ellidokuz
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Füzün
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Küpelioğlu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D050760:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism*; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C493956:CDKN1A protein, human; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D050760:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27