EXPRESSION OF P53 IN ADRENOCORTICAL TUMORS - CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL CORRELATIONS

There are limited data to suggest that abnormalities of p53 expression may be a late event in the development of adrenocortical tumours. Thi s has been investigated further by examining a series of adrenocortica l adenomas and carcinomas by immunohistochemistry for p53 expression a nd a subset for evidence of mutation in exons 5-8 of the p53 gene usin g polymerase chain reaction/single strand conformational polymorphism (PCR/SSCP). In carcinomas, the findings have been correlated with surv ival data and with tumour ploidy, Immunopositivity for p53 was seen in 4 of 34 adenomas and 22 of 32 carcinomas. Mobility shifts mere identi fied in 1 of 4 adenomas and 10 of 21 carcinomas. There was no correlat ion bet,veen immunostaining pattern or PCR/SSCP evidence of mutation a nd either survival or disease-free survival in carcinoma. There was al so no correlation between p53 status and tumour ploidy. While these fi ndings support a role for p53 in tumour progression, abnormal p53 expr ession does not appear to have any significant prognostic effect in ca rcinoma.