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p27 immunostaining is related to prognosis in malignant mesothelioma
T W Beer1, P Shepherd, N C Pullinger
1Department of Histopathology, Royal Haslar Hospital, Gosport, UK. twb@lycos.com
Aims:
To evaluate the prognostic value of the proliferation-associated antigen p27 in malignant mesothelioma.
Methods And Results:
Sections from 36 patients with malignant mesothelioma were immunohistochemically stained for the p27 antigen. The results were quantified by recording the proportion of positively stained nuclei and these data were tested for association with patient survival. p27 expression was also compared with tumour type, MIB-1 expression, apoptotic and mitotic indices. Patients with pleural malignant mesothelioma showing low p27 expression (< 53% of cells positive) survived for significantly shorter periods of time than those with high p27 expression (> or = 53% of cells positive) (P=0.04). The 50% survival time of subjects with low p27 was 4-6 months whereas for those with high p27 expression it was 10-11 months. There was no significant association between p27 expression and MIB-1, apoptotic or mitotic indices.
Conclusions:
Low p27 expression in pleural malignant mesothelioma is associated with a significantly worse prognosis. p27 appears to be an independent prognostic variable which may be of value in counselling patients with malignant mesothelioma.
Insights
Low p27 expression in malignant mesothelioma indicates a worse prognosis. This finding suggests p27 is a valuable independent prognostic marker for patient counseling.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pathology
Background:
- Malignant mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer.
- Identifying prognostic markers is crucial for patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the prognostic significance of the p27 antigen in malignant mesothelioma.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemical staining for p27 in 36 malignant mesothelioma patient samples.
- Quantification of p27-positive nuclei and correlation with patient survival.
Main Results:
- Low p27 expression (<53% positive cells) correlated with significantly shorter survival (P=0.04).
- Median survival for low vs. high p27 expression was 4-6 months vs. 10-11 months.
- No significant association found between p27 expression and MIB-1, apoptotic, or mitotic indices.
Conclusions:
- Reduced p27 expression is a significant indicator of poor prognosis in malignant mesothelioma.
- p27 serves as an independent prognostic variable, aiding in patient counseling.