STUDY ON CIRCULATING ANTI-P53 ANTIBODIES IN SERUM OF CANCER PATIENTS

Abstract

Genetic alterations in the p53 gene are the most common genetic event in human malignancy. P53 gene encodes p53 protein (53 KD phosphoprotein) . Wild type p53 protein (tumor suppressor gene) changes by mutation into mutant type (dominant oncogene) which is more stable and acts as mutagen giving rise to p53 autoantibodies. Using ELISA technique, p53 autoantibodies can be measured in sera of cancer patients.

Prevalence and clinical importance of these autoantibodies in cancer patients was the concept of this study. Four groups of neoplastic patients were studied ; breast, colorectal, ovarian and lung cancers, in addition to a reference group of healthy individuals. We studied the prevalence of these autoantibodies in the studied groups. It was found that the prevalence was as follows: reference group (0%), breast cancer (45%), lung cancer (31%), colorectal cancer (27%) and ovarian cancer group (22%).