Accumulation of p53 and expression of CD44 in human prostatic cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia: an immunohistochemical study.

Objective: To investigate the expression of mutant p53 and wild-type CD44 in human benign and neoplastic prostate.

Patients And Methods: The accumulation of p53 and the expression of CD44 were investigated immunohistochemically in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue specimens (obtained by transurethral resection and open prostatectomy) from 16 patients with primary prostatic cancer (median age 65 years, range 54-75) and six patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) (median age 67 years, range 58-75).

Results: Positive immunoreactivity for p53 and CD44 was detected in six and eight samples of prostatic cancer tissue, respectively. Additionally, all six prostatic cancer samples showing positive immunoreactivity for p53 were also positive for CD44. There were more samples expressing p53 and CD44 in prostatic cancer with a high Gleason grade score than in samples from cancer with a lower score. In samples from six patients with BPH, positive immunoreactivity for p53 and CD44 was observed in one and two, respectively; stained cells were restricted to the secretory cell layer of the gland.

Conclusions: There was an association between prostatic tumour grade and the increasing expression of p53 and CD44, although there were too few samples for statistical significance. The staining pattern of cells expressing p53 and CD44 may be different between prostatic cancer and BPH tissues.