P53 DO-1 IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL OVEREXPRESSION IN PREMALIGNANT AND MALIGNANT CERVICAL LESIONS

One hundred-fourteen cervical lesions, including paraffin sections fro m benign, premalignant and malignant cervical tissue specimens were ex amined immunohistochemically for overexpression of p53 protein, using the p53 DO-1 monoclonal antibody (MoAb). p53 overexpression was observ ed in 66% of premalignant cervical lesions and in 90% of invasive squa mous cell carcinomas. The difference in p53 positive lesions of premal ignant and malignant cervical lesions was statistically very significa nt (p<0.001) and the difference between CIN1 and CIN2 and CIN3 statist ically significant (p<0.01). Our results indicate that p53 overexpress ion may be involved at an early stage in cervical carcinogenesis.