PROGNOSTIC-SIGNIFICANCE OF P53 NUCLEAR AND CYTOPLASMIC OVEREXPRESSIONIN RIGHT AND LEFT COLORECTAL ADENOCARCINOMAS

The prognostic significance of nuclear and cytoplasmic p53 protein, de tected immunocytochemically using CM1 and PAb 1801 antibodies, was eva luated in right-sided and left-sided colorectal adenocarcinomas from 2 93 patients. CM1 nuclear and cytoplasmic p53 accumulation occurred in 38 and 25% of cases, respectively. PAb 1801 nuclear staining occurred in 18%, with no cytoplasmic staining. CM1 expression either in the nuc leus or in the cytoplasm was positively related to PAb 1801 expression (P < 0.001 and P = 0.009, respectively). The incidence of CM1 nuclear and cytoplasmic expression was more frequent in right-sided tumours ( P = 0.023 and P = 0.034, respectively), while PAb 1801 nuclear stainin g was more common in left-sided tumours (P = 0.011). In survival analy ses, CM1 nuclear overexpression in the right-sided tumours (P = 0.016) and CM1 cytoplasmic overexpression in left-sided tumours (P = 0.04) w ere prognostic indicators, independent of Dukes' stage, DNA ploidy, PA b 1801 expression and each other. Further analysis showed that the pro gnostic value of CM1 nuclear expression was greater in right-sided tum ours than in left-sided tumours (P = 0.018). The nuclear and cytoplasm ic p53 protein detected with CM1 and PAb 1801 may play different roles in tumour progression and provide prognostic indicators for right- an d left-sided colorectal tumours. Copyright (C) 1996 Published by Elsev ier Science Ltd