Mutation of the p53 gene belongs to the most common genetic alteration in human cancer. Prognostic significance of serum anti-p53 antibodies in patients with gastric cancer is still a matter of controversy. The aim of the study was to estimate the presence of anti-p53 antibodies in serum of gastric cancer patients and relationship between anti-p53 antibodies and chosen clinical and pathomorphological data age, sex, localization of cancer, histology, stage of disease, metastases to lymph nodes and the time of survival.
Material and method: Serum samples from 71 patients with gastric cancer were analyzed by specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine the presence of serum anti-p53 antibodies. The results were statistically compared with clinical and pathological features and postoperative survival.
Results: Anti-p53 antibodies were detected in 16 (23%) gastric cancer patients. The presence of p53 antibodies was connected with intestinal tumor type (p < 0.05) and older age (p = 0.0035). There were no association between anti-p53 antibodies, stage and the time of survival.
Conclusion: These results suggest that in gastric cancer patients serum anti-p53 antibodies detected by ELISA are not predictor of prognosis.