p53 antibodies in the serum of patients with prostate cancer.
We assessed the potential clinical utility of levels of p53-specific antibodies as a novel serum biomarker of prostate cancer that could be used in conjunction with level of PSA.


METHODS
Serum levels of p53-specific antibodies in patients with relapsed, newly diagnosed prostate cancer and in patients with benign prostate hyperplasia were quantified by an enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay.


RESULTS
There was no significant difference (P=0.96) between the serum levels of p53-specific antibodies in patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer and with benign prostatic hyperplasia. In the newly diagnosed prostate cancer group, stage T1c (n=8) showed the lowest p53-specific antibody level. However, the difference between T1c group and benign prostatic hyperplasia group was not significant (P=0.686). The relapsed cancer group tended to have low levels of the antibodies, and, there was no significant difference between the relapsed prostate cancer group and the benign prostatic hyperplasia group (P=0.14). The serum levels of p53-specific antibodies in patients with metastatic and with localized prostate cancer showed no significant difference (P=0.68).


CONCLUSIONS
The use of titers of p53-specific antibodies to make differential diagnosis between prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia might have no role, and the antibodies should not be used as a marker of prostate cancer by itself. Because our study is based on small number of patients, further studies are necessary before its absolute validity can be determined.
Kubota
Yoko
Y
Department of Urology, Okitama Public General Hospital, 2000 Nishiohtsuka, Kawanishi Town, Yamagata 992-0601, Japan. ykubota@okitama-hp.or.jp
Onmura
Yoshiki
Y
Ohji
Hiroshi
H
Kunii
Takuya
T
Shibasaki
Tomohiro
T
Nakada
Teruhiro
T
Tomita
Yoshihiko
Y
D000368:Aged; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm / Q000097:blood*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D012008:Recurrence; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000276:immunology*
D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53