EXPRESSION OF P53 PROTEIN RELATED TO HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS AND DNA-PLOIDY IN SUPERFICIAL ESOPHAGEAL-CARCINOMA

We examined the p53 protein and human papilloma virus (HPV) by immunoh istochemistry and DNA ploidy by cytofluorometry in paraffin-embedded e sophageal carcinoma tissue specimens. Sixty-one patients with superfic ial esophageal carcinoma were operated on between 1983 and 1991 withou t any prior treatment. Immunostaining of the anti-p53 protein antibody (CM1) was positive in 32 carcinomas (52%). Patients with p53-positive tumors had a poorer outcome than those with p53-negative tumors (P < 0.05). In addition, patients with p53-positive tumors did not have any characteristic site of relapse. Only 5 of the 61 patients (8.2%) had HPV-positive tumors. One of these 5 carcinomas expressed both p53 prot ein and HPV. Three patients with HPV-positive tumors which had invaded the submucosal layer died of relapse. A determination of DNA ploidy r evealed 30 patients with aneuploid tumors, 13 with polyploid tumors an d 18 with diploid tumors. The outcome of the patients with aneuploid t umors was worse than that of the patients with diploid tumor (P < 0.05 ). p53 protein expression was not associated with DNA ploidy; however, the 16 patients who had both p53-positive and aneuploid tumors had a worse prognosis than patients with p53-negative and aneuploid tumors ( P < 0.01). These findings suggest that p53 protein expression in conju nction with DNA ploidy may be a useful indicator in evaluating the pro gnosis of patients with superficial esophageal carcinoma.