Elsevier

Human Pathology

Volume 27, Issue 10, October 1996, Pages 1050-1055
Human Pathology

Original contribution
Concordance between p53 protein overexpression and gene mutation in a large series of common human carcinomas

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0046-8177(96)90282-8Get rights and content

Abstract

Immunohistochemical (IHC) detection of p53 protein was compared with the presence of p53 gene mutation in many colorectal (n = 100), breast (n = 92), endometrial (n = 122), and gastric (n = 116) carcinomas. Two commercially available antibodies, D07 and CMl, were used for IHC analysis of paraffin-embedded tissue sections. Screening for gene mutations in frozen and paraffin-embedded tumor samples was carried out using polymerase chain reaction—single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP). The frequency of nuclear staining with D07 or CMl for each tumor type, respectively, was colorectal (36%, 23%); breast (15%, 19%); endometrial (21%, 33%); and gastric (23%,-). Overall correlation between the two antibodies for nuclear staining was 90% for the 314 tumors analyzed. Cytoplasmic staining was observed with D07 in 7% of breast and 5% of gastric carcinomas and with CMl in 17% of breast and 54% of endometrial carcinomas. p53 gene mutation was found in 39% of colorectal, 28% of breast, 13% of endometrial, and 25% of gastric cancers. The concordance between p53 nuclear overexpression and gene mutation (both positive or both negative) was 68% for colorectal, 79% for breast, 76% for endometrial, and 73% for gastric carcinomas. This study provides further evidence that IHC detection of p53 protein accumulation does not always indicate the presence of a gene mutation and vice versa. Discordant results were observed in approximately 20% to 30% of the tumors studied, highlighting the need for careful characterization of both p53 gene and protein alterations when assessing the relationship between p53 status and tumor behavior.

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    Supported by grants from the Cancer Foundation of Western Australia, the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Research Foundation, and the Foundation for Women's and Infant's Health, King Edward Memorial Hospital.

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