SERUM ANTI-P53 AUTOANTIBODIES IN PRIMARY RESECTED NON-SMALL-CELL LUNG-CARCINOMA

Mutated p53 proteins accumulate in the nuclei of tumor cells, and anti -p53 autoantibodies are found in the sera of patients with non-small-c ell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), We analyzed the correlation among serum an ti-p53 autoantibodies, immunohistochemical staining for p53, and clini cal features (age, gender, smoking history, histological type, differe ntiation, stage, T factor, tumor size, and N factor) in resected non-s mall-cell lung carcinomas. A total of 62 cases of resected NSCLC were studied (43 men and 19 women; 33 adenocarcinomas, 21 squamous cell car cinomas, 8 large-cell carcinomas). Preoperative serum titers of anti-p 53 autoantibodies were detected in 13/62 cases (21.0%). A correlation between histological type and positive titers of serum p53 autoantibod ies was seen (large-cell carcinoma versus squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, P = 0.031, chi(2)-test). Out of 25 cases, 10 (40%) wit h positive immunohistochemical staining for p53 had positive titers, w hereas 3 positive titers were found in 37 patients with negative immun ohistochemical staining for p53 (P = 0.0025, chi(2)-test). Serum titer s of anti-p53 autoanti bodies were present in approximately 20% of the cases of NSCLC, and overexpression of p53 protein in tumor cells was detectable in approximately 40%. Serum anti-p53 autoantibodies may be a clinical parameter for the presence of p53 mutations and p53 overexp ression in NSCLC patients.