Significance of Abnormal Expression of p53 Protein as a Prognostic Factor in Patients with Type 2, 3 Advanced Gastric Cancer

Atsushi Nashimoto, Juei Sasaki, Otsuo Tanaka, Mitsuhiro Tsutsui, Yoshiaki Tsuchiya, Haruhiko Makino

Division of Surgery, Niigata Cancer Center Hospital

The prognostic value of overexpression of p53 protein was evaluated in 106 consecutive patients with type 2, 3 gastric cancer. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues of gastric adenocarcinomas were stained with anti-p53 protein monoclonal antibody DO-1 and immunohistochemical study was carried out by the avidin-biotin complex method. Results: A high level of immunoreactivity (more than 10% of the cell nuclei staining positively) was shown in 50 patients (47.2%), suggesting the presence of a mutated form of p53. No correlation between p53 overexpression and clinicopathological factors was found. In univariate analysis, p53 immunoreactivity correlated significantly with survival (p<0.05). The 5-year survival rate in the p53 high level group was 40.0% compared with 60.7% in the p53 low level group. In multivariate analyses, curability, lymph nodal metastases and tumor location emerged as independent prognostic factors, whereas p53 immunoreactivity did not (p=0.71). In conclusion, p53 overexpression is not an independent prognostic factor in patients with type 2, 3 gastric cancer. But the analysis of p53 overexpression will be useful for the selection of high-risk patients and for indication for postoperative intensive therapy.

Key words
p53, prognostic factors, gastric cancer, immunohistochemistry

Reprint requests
Atsushi Nashimoto Division of Surgery, Niigata Cancer Center Hospital
2-15-3 Kawagishicho, Niigata, 951-8133 JAPAN

Accepted
November 5, 1997

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