Expression And Clinical Significance Of P27～(kip1) And Mutated P53 In Testicular Seminoma

Objective: To investigate the expression of p27^kip1 and itsrelationship with the expression of mutated type p53 in tissue of testicularseminoma.Methods: Testicular seminoma specimens were procured fromthirty-two patients, with ten cases of normal testicular tissue being controlgroup. P27^kip1 and mutated p53 levels were assessed byimmunohistochemical method (streptavidinbiotin peroxidase, S-P). Onthe other hand, all of the images were analyzed by mean optical density(MOD) with support of the CMM-3 system.Results: The level of positive p27^kip1 immunostaining in testicularseminoma was lower than control group, because the MOD ofimmunostaining in testicular seminoma is poorer than in normal tissue.The positivistic rate of mutated p53 was 100% in testicular seminoma.The MOD of testicular seminoma was higher than control group whichshowed negative for p53 immuneoreactivity. On the other hand, we foundthe correlation between the degree of mutated p53 staining and thepathological grades of testicular seminoma, but not clinic stages. Aninverse correlation was observed between the expression of p27^kip1 and mutated p53 protein in all testicular seminoma tissue.Conclusions: The expression of p27^kip1 in testicular seminoma waslower than normal; however the expression of mutated p53 protein intesticular seminoma was higher than in normal. The down-regulation ofp27kipl and up-regulation mutated p53 protein in testicular seminomaprobably promoted the progression of seminoma and may contribute totumor genesis in testicular seminoma.