CYTOPLASMIC EXPRESSION OF P53 PROTEIN AND ITS MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES IN SALIVARY-GLAND LESIONS

An immunohistochemical study of p53 protein was carried out on 45 sali vary gland lesions using a monoclonal antibody, Bp53-12, raised to the intracellular domain of the p53 protein. p53 protein expression was f ound in 34.4% of 32 salivary gland carcinomas. Nuclear p53 expression was detected in tumor cells but not in non-neoplastic cells, except in one salivary duct carcinoma. The perinuclear cytoplasm of luminal duc t cells was specifically positive for the antibody used here. Cytoplas mic p53 expression was observed mostly in non-neoplastic cells. There was a tendency for the cytoplasmic staining of p53 protein to be obser ved in the normal cells adjacent to p53-positive carcinomas, but none of the normal cells were positive in the tissues surrounding p53-negat ive carcinomas. Cytoplasmic expression of p53 protein in salivary glan d tissues seems to be correlated with tumorigenesis.