Objective: Mutations in the TP53 gene are frequently detected in some types of malignant tumors (bladder, prostate, kidney, lungs, breast, colon and rectum). This study analyzed the utility of semi-quantitative determination of p53 in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder by an immunohistochemical technique and evaluated the results at 5 years.
Methods/results: A prospective clinical cohort study was conducted on 81 patients. The study comprised two groups: nontumoral bladder tissue specimens from 20 patients (group I) and tissue specimens from 61 patients with bladder carcinoma (group II). In both groups the tissue specimens were obtained between November 1992 and November 1993, and during the follow-up period until July 1998. p53 expression was determined by a semi-quantitative method based on an immunohistochemical technique (NCL-p53-DO7, Novocastra).
Conclusions: p53 oncoprotein was not found to be useful in the characterization of carcinoma of the urinary bladder.