Expression of p53 oncoprotein and bcl-2 in renal cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to investigate the significance of p53 and bcl-2 as prognostic factors among others in renal cell carcinoma patients.

METHODS: We evaluated the stages, histological grades, tumor diameters, cellular patterns and the presence of mutant p53 protein and bcl-2 overexpression in 57 cases of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Kaplan-Meier and log-rank tests estimated the survival function of each parameter. The study was carried out in the Department of Pathology and the Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Dicle University Hospital, Diyarbakir, Turkey, in 2003.

RESULTS: The p53 mutation was 35% and bcl-2 overexpression incidence was 89.4% in the RCC cases included in the study. The 5-year disease specific survival rates of mutant p53 positive was 46.6% and p53 negative cases were 83.3%, (p=0.0063). There was no pathological parameter associated in bcl-2, and it has no prognostic significance.

CONCLUSIONS: The tumor stage, grade, diameter and p53 mutations affect the survival of RCC cases. The bcl-2 staining did not play any role to estimate patients at high risk of the disease progression.