N. Hosaka et al., Correlation of immunohistochemical p53 labeling index with inhibition ratein chemosensitivity test in gastric and colon cancer, ANTICANC R, 21(1A), 2001, pp. 229-235
To determine whether the expression of p53, p21, bcl-2 or Ki-67 in cancer c
ells is predictive of chemosensitivity immunohistochemical examination of t
hese factors and chemosensitivity assays were performed on colon and gastri
c cancer specimens. Chemosensitivity tests were performed using CDDP, 5-FU,
MMC, ol ADR and inhibition rate (IR) was calculated by MTT assay. Before e
xposure to anticancer drugs, the samples were investigated immunohistochemi
cally for expression of the above factors and after anticancer drug exposur
e by TUNNEL staining, for the presence of apoptotic cells. With 5-FU and MM
C, the apoptotic index was well correlated with IR, so their effeets were r
elated to apoptosis. Moreover, with these two agents, the p53 labeling inde
x (LI) was inversely correlated with IR and p21-L1 showed a good correlatio
n with IR. We therefore concluded that immunohistochemical studies for p53
and p21 were useful for predicting the chemosensitivities of colon and gast
ric cancer to MMC and 5-FU.