Expression of p21 and p27 in gallbladder cancer

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of p21 and p27 factors in gallbladder cancer (GBC), and to correlate their expression with clinicopathological parameters: age, gender, stage, invasion, and grade.

METHODS: Thirty-two surgically resected specimens were collected between 1994-2001 from different health centers in north Jordan. Tissues belong to 25 females and 7 males were examined immunohistochemically. The study took place in the Pathology Department, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Jordan.

RESULTS: Levels of p21 were found in 75% and p27 in 25%. Furthermore, p21 was expressed in 50% of the specimens which are belong to patients with ages <64 years, whereas all specimens for ages >64 years have p21WAF1/CIP1 expression (p=0.001). The expression of p21 between advanced stages (stages III and IV) was 89.5% and early stages (stages I and II) was 53.8 % (p=0.031).

CONCLUSION: The p27 expression was markedly decreased in GBC cases (25%) and there were no significant correlation between p27KIP1 expression and all clinicopathological parameters including gender, World Health Organization grades, stages, and invasion, whereas the expression of p21 was 75% and there was a significant correlation between p21 and the clinicopathological parameters including gender, stages, and invasion.