Over-expression of p53 protein in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma of women.
OBJECTIVE
Most physicians naturally accept the etiological aspect that the incidence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is excessively more frequent in men than that in women. However, a definitely scientific confirmation to explain it has not been found. In the current study, we investigated the relationship between gender and p53 over-expression, which might resolve the difference between the genders in the mechanism for carcinogenesis in ESCC.


METHODS
Immunohistochemical expression of p53 was examined for 134 ESCCs, and the correlation of the gender with the clinicopathologic features and over-expression of p53 was compared.


RESULTS
The proportion of p53 over-expression in women was 23.8% (5 out of 21) and this incidence proportion was significantly lower than that in men (48.7%, 55 out of 113; p=0.031).


CONCLUSIONS
This biological modulation might be correlated with the lower incidence of ESCC in women.
Nozoe
Tadahiro
T
Department of Surgery, Fukuoka Higashi Medical Center, Koga, Japan. ntvb@med.uoeh-u.ac.jp
Maehara
Yoshihiko
Y
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53