Immunohistochemical analysis of p53, a nuclear protein involved in the development of numerous human tumors, was performed in a series of 50 primary nonsmall cell lung carcinomas and in a group of eight lung carcinoma cell lines. Using two mouse monoclonal antibodies, PAb1801 and PAb421, sixteen of thirty-five (45.7%) lung adenocarcinomas and seven of fifteen (46.6%) squamous cell carcinomas showed marked-to-moderate immunoreactivity. In fifty-six percent of the positive tumors more than 40% of all cells were p53 positive, and in only 17% of positive tumors the percentage of immunostained cells was less than ten. Although the number of p53 negative adenocarcinomas without metastasis was larger than the number of p53 positive tumors without metastasis, there were not clear differences between p53 positive and negative tumors with metastasis. Furthermore, six adenocarcinomas that infiltrated the pleura and/or the thoracic wall were p53 positive, whereas only two of these invasive tumors were p53 negative. From eight cell lines studied, six were positive for p53. A good correlation between immunocytochemistry and immunoprecipitation was observed. Two tumorigenic and metastatic cell lines, Calu 1 and Calu 6, that were not immunoreactive also showed lack of protein by immunoprecipitation, as well as absence of mRNA in Northern analysis. In addition, Calu 1 showed an important gene deletion. These observations point to the fact that deletions and alterations in transcription of the p53 gene could coincide with or eventuate in an advanced malignant phenotype that nevertheless results in a p53 negative immunostain. Although this type of change cannot be detected immunohistochemically in primary tumors without further molecular analysis, the results presented herein indicate that p53 can be detected immunohistochemically in a majority of lung tumors and that there is a tendency for more advanced adenocarcinoma stages to exhibit positive p53 immunostain.