Nm23-H1 protein, DNA-ploidy and S-phase fraction in relation to overall survival and disease free survival in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder

Objectives: To explain the overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) in relation to nm23-H1 protein, DNA-ploidy and S-phase fraction (SPF) in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. Patients and methods: Ninet y-four samples were obtained from patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder examined between 1994 and 1996. The patients were underwent cistectomy or surgical biopsy and the material was histologically evaluate d according to World Health Organization classification. Nm23-H1 protein ex pression in immunohistological staining and DNA ploidy S-phase fraction by flow cytometric were performed Results: the correlation between OS and stag ing, grading, DNA-ploidy and S- phase was significant; whereas the overall survival and nm23-H1 protein, was not significant. The relationship between DFS and stage, DNA-ploidy and S-phase had a significant value. The correla tion between DFS and age, sex, grading and nm23-H1 protein was not signific ant. There was no significant difference in age, sex, stage, grading, DNA-p loidy and SPF distribution between patients with nm23-H1 positive bladder c ancer and those with nm23-H1 negative tumours. Conclusion: in our study, mu ltivariate analysis showed that stage, ploidy and SPF were the strongest pr ognostic factors in predicting disease-free survival and prolonged survival , while nm23-H1 expression was not related to disease progression and/or pr olonged survival. This expression, therefore, does not appear to be an inde pendent prognostic factor in bladder cancer, although a still larger number of patients and a longer follow-up period are now needed for a definitive assessment of the prognostic significance of nm23-H1 expression.