A series of 201 bladder cancer biopsy specimens was analysed immunohis
tochemically for the expression of pS2 protein. Altogether, 61 per cen
t of the tumours were pS2-negative; in 16 per cent less than 1 per cen
t and in 23 per cent of cases more than 1 per cent of cells were ps2-p
ositive. Normal transitional epithelium was negative for pS2. The frac
tion of positive cells was higher in poorly differentiated non-papilla
ry tumours and in invasive tumours with pelvic lymph-node (P=0.05) and
distant metastasis (P=0.10). pS2 expression was not related to sex, w
hile patients aged 60-70 years had low fractions of pS2-positive cells
(P=0.03). DNA ploidy, S-phase fraction, mitotic index, morphometric n
uclear features, and expression of c-erbB-2, p53, and epidermal growth
factor receptor were independent of expression of pS2. Tumours expres
sing pS2 in over 10 per cent of cells had a lower survival probability
(P=0.0486). The results show that pS2 is expressed in 40 per cent of
transitional cell bladder tumours, but that this marker has no clinica
l significance over established prognostic factors.