Clinical significance of circulating anti-p53 antibodies in European patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

• Published in: British journal of cancer Vol. 79; no. 3-4; pp. 604 - 610
• Main Authors: SAFFROY, R, LELONG, J.-C, AZOULAY, D, SALVUCCI, M, REYNES, M, BISMUTH, H, DEBUIRE, B, LEMOINE, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Nature Publishing Group 01.02.1999
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antibodies, Neoplasm - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers, Tumor - analysis; Biomarkers, Tumor - genetics; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - immunology; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - pathology; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - surgery; DNA Mutational Analysis; DNA, Neoplasm - analysis; DNA, Neoplasm - genetics; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Europe; Female; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Humans; Liver Neoplasms - immunology; Liver Neoplasms - pathology; Liver Neoplasms - surgery; Liver. Biliary tract. Portal circulation. Exocrine pancreas; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Regular; Survival Analysis; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 - analysis; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 - immunology; Tumors; Europe; Human; Correlation; p53 Protein; Clinical form; Hepatic disease; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Tumoral marker; Malignant tumor; Monoclonal antibody; Pathology; TP53 Gene; Digestive diseases; ELISA assay; Survival curve
• ISSN: 0007-0920; 1532-1827
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6690095

p53 alterations are considered to be predictive of poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and may induce a humoral response. Anti-p53 serum antibodies were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using purified recombinant human p53 on 130 European HCC patients before treatment and during the clinical course of the disease. p53 immunohistochemistry was performed on tumours from the 52 patients who underwent surgery, and DNA sequencing analysis was initiated when circulating anti-p53 antibodies were detected. Nine (7%) HCC patients had anti-p53 serum antibodies before treatment. During a mean period of 30 months of follow-up, all the negative patients remained negative, even when recurrence was observed. Of the nine positive patients, eight were still positive 12-30 months after surgery. The presence of anti-p53 serum antibodies was correlated neither with mutation of the p53 gene nor the serum alpha-fetoprotein levels and clinicopathological characteristics of the tumours. However, a greater incidence of vascular invasion and accumulation of p53 protein were observed in the tumours of these patients (P<0.03 and P<0.01 respectively) as well as a better survival rate without recurrence (P = 0.05). In conclusion, as was recently shown in pancreatic cancer, anti-p53 serum antibodies may constitute a marker of relative 'good prognosis' in a subgroup of patients exhibiting one or several markers traditionally thought to be of bad prognosis.