Diagnostic and prognostic impact of p63 immunoreactivity in renal malignancies.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the ability of p63 reactivity to confirm the diagnosis of urothelial carcinomas (UCs) that present clinically as kidney masses and to determine the association of p63 expression with clinicopathologic features in UCs.


METHODS
The study included 27 patients with renal pelvis UC and 42 patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). p63 Reactivity was examined immunohistochemically in tumor and nonneoplastic tissues. Correlation of p63 expression in renal malignancies (RCCs and UCs) was investigated and compared with clinicopathologic parameters.


RESULTS
p63 Expression was detected in 25 of 27 (92.6%) UC cases while none of the RCC cases were positive for p63. There was a correlation between p63 expression and tumor stage, grade and survival time (p < 0.0001, = 0.032, = 0.028, respectively). However, no correlation was found between p63 expression and tumor progression (p = 0.513).


CONCLUSIONS
p63 Should be considered as an additional biomarker to distinguish UC from RCC. Decreased p63 immunoreactivity was significantly associated with advanced tumor stage and grade. p63 Reactivity appears to be a useful prognostic factor in UC.
Tuna
Burcin
B
Department of Pathology, Dokuz Eylul University Medical Faculty, Inciralti, Izmir, Turkey. burcin.tuna@deu.edu.tr
Unlu
Mehtat
M
Aslan
Guven
G
Secil
Mustafa
M
Yorukoglu
Kutsal
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C115051:TP63 protein, human; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins