title: Changes of serum p53 antibodies and clinical significance of radiotherapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the relationship between serum p53 antibodies (p53-Abs) and clinicopathological characteristics and therapeutic effect in patients with esophageal carcinoma (EC), and to investigate sequential changing regularity of serum p53-Abs after radiotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The serum p53-Ab levels were detected in 46 EC patients and 30 healthy adults by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The blood samples were collected on the day before radiotherapy and on the administration of an irradiation dose of 20 Gy/10 f/12 d, 40 Gy/20 f/24 d and 60 Gy/30 f/36 d after radiotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The level and positive rate of serum p53-Abs in EC patients were significantly higher than those in normal individuals (P<0.05). Serum anti-p53 antibodies were positive in 18 of 46 EC patients (39.1%). The positive rate of p53-Abs in EC was related to histological grade, disease stage and lymph node metastasis (P<0.05), but it was not significantly related to sex, age and to the size and site of tumor. The level and positive rate of p53-Abs had significant differences between before radiotherapy and after administration of an irradiation dose of 40 Gy/20 f/24 d and 60 Gy/30 f/36 d (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The positive rate of p53-Abs in EC patients with effect was significantly lower than that in those without effect after radiotherapy (P<0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Detection of serum p53-Abs is helpful to the diagnosis of esophageal carcinoma. Monitoring for sequential change of serum p53-Abs before and after radiotherapy in patients with esophageal carcinoma is also useful to evaluate the response to the treatment and prognosis of the patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Gansu Provincial Tumor Hospital, Lanzhou 730050, Gansu Province, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Yi
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Xiao-Hu
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Li-Ying
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Li-Juan
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhi-Yan
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; C495901:TP53 protein, human; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53