Background: A correlation between mutations in the p53 gene and the presence of anti-p53 antibodies in sera has been reported. The aim of the present study was to analyse anti-p53 antibodies in sera from patients with oesophageal carcinoma and their implications for clinical outcome and survival
Patients and methods: Between 1996 and 2002, patients treated for oesophageal carcinoma at the Department of Oncology, Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden, were asked to donate serum samples during treatment and follow-up. A total of 42 patients, with serum samples collected prior to therapy, were analysed for expressions of anti-p53 antibodies using a commercially available sandwich ELISA (Dianova, Hamburg, Germany).
Results: Anti-p53 antibodies did not correlate with investigated laboratory parameters. No correlation between anti-p53 antibodies and tumour volume was found (n=31; r=0.08;p=0.66). Anti-p53 antibodies as a continuous variable was not associated with survival (p = 0.42). Neither was the presence of anti-p53 antibodies (according to defined cut-off of 1.1, provided by the manufacturer) associated with survival (p = 0.99).
Conclusion: The presence of anti-p53 antibodies correlated neither to tumour volume nor to clinical parameters.