Abstract

PURPOSE
This study was performed to evaluate prognostic significance of Rb and p53 protein immunostaining in renal cell carcinoma. We investigated correlations between Rb, p53 immunostaining and nuclear grade and stage as prognostic factors of renal cell carcinoma.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Subjects of this study were sixty-nine cases of renal cell carcinoma. We used indirect immunohistochemical methods in the formalin-fixed paraffin- embedded tissue (Rb: Pharmingen, USA; p53: Novocastra, UK). In staging and nuclear grading of the renal cell carcinoma, the American Joint Commitee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM system and Fuhrmans grading system were applied respectively.
RESULTS
According to Fuhrmans grading system, four cases were classified grade I, 15 cases were classified grade II, 13 cases were classified grade III, and 37 cases were classified grade IV. By AJCC TNM staging system, 29 cases were grouped stage I, 20 cases were grouped stage II, 15 cases were grouped stage III and five cases were grouped stage IV. In 55 cases (79% of all cases), Rb protein was expressed. Expression of Rb protein did not correlate with nuclear grade nor tumor stage. p53 protein was expressed in 17 cases (24% of all cases). p53 protein expression was frequently detected in high nuclear grade group (p < 0.05), but was not correlated with tumor stage.
CONCLUSION
Expression of Rb protein was not conelated with nuclear grade and stage. And expression of p53 protein was not correlated with stage, but it is correlated with nuclear grade. Thus immunohistochemical examinstion of p53 could be a histological prognostic factor.

• Keywords: Renal cell carcinoma;p53;Rb;Nuclear grade;Prognosis